DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ? Two goals from Eammon Murphy lifted Flagler College to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles on senior night at Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium. Seniors Joe Yoffe, AJ Barrett, Peter Masters and Richard Genge played the final home game of their careers in front of a packed crowd.
The Eagles struggled to control the ball in the first half, as Flagler had the better of the opportunities, with a 6-4 advantage in shots and 3-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Eammon Murphy netted the first goal for the Saints after he drove down the field, cut the ball back to create space from his defender and then fired a shot to the far post. Embry-Riddle goalkeeper Robert Knipple got a touch on the ball, but it was not enough as the shot fell in the back of the net.
One minute later, the Saints extended their lead. A shot from outside the box deflected off the post, but Murphy was there to collect the rebound, putting the ball away off his first touch.
The best scoring opportunity for the Eagles came in the 32nd minute when Embry-Riddle was awarded a penalty kick. Joe Yoffe hit a hard shot, but Flagler goalkeeper Zach Volpi dove and got his hands on the ball to collect the save.
Embry-Riddle definitely increased the pressure in the second half, with defenders Michael Donald and Richard Genge really getting involved on the offensive end. The Eagles organized several strong combination plays, but they could not get past Flagler's defensive line to find a clear shot.
In the 52nd minute, Conor Killeen accelerated down the field, exhibited fancy footwork and then sent a strong pass inside to Fredrik Ericsson. Ericsson drove a shot, but Knipple made a great diving save to keep the Saints from notching another goal.
The Embry-Riddle defense showed good organization in the back, as they were able to draw Flagler off side seven times throughout the contest, but in the 84th minute, the Saints snuck by for goal number three. Neil Patrickson flicked a ball on to Brad Vinciguerra, who jumped above the defense and sent a header into the back of the net to give the Saints the 3-0 victory.
Embry-Riddle will now travel to West Palm Beach, Fla. where they will face Northwood in The Sun Conference semifinal match. Game time is set for 2 p.m. Live stats will be provided during the game and can be found by clicking the gold toolbar on the Embry-Riddle athletics website.
