MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The 18th-ranked Embry-Riddle women's soccer team scored five goals in the first half en route to a 6-0 win over Florida Memorial (1-5, 1-2) in Sun Conference action on Sunday. The Eagles, who had to overcome a scheduling change that resulted in the game starting three and a half hours ahead of its originally scheduled time, improved to 8-2-1 overall and 3-1 in league play.
Despite the early start, the Eagles came out ready play and put Florida Memorial under pressure from the very first whistle. Embry-Riddle took 11 shots in the first half, with eight going on frame, while the Eagle defense limited the Lion offense to just two shots, both of which were from long range and did not test ERAU starting goalkeeper Lauren Gallant.
Embry-Riddle also held a 5-1 edge on corner kicks and took advantage of those set piece opportunities as three of the Eagles' five first-half goals were the result of corner kicks.
The Eagles got on the board in the fourth minute courtesy of their second corner kick attempt of the day. Cecilie Henriksen's ball into the box bounced around before falling to Valerie Obita who tapped the ball past FMU netminder Ana Patrizzi into the lower left corner to put the Blue and Gold up 1-0.
In the 16th minute Charlotte Edeland completed a pass to Martine Olsen on the left. After picking her head up to survey her options, Olsen sent a low cross in to fellow sophomore Obita who, with her back to goal, used a deft touch with the outside of her foot to beat Patrizzi and make the score 2-0.
The Eagles' third goal came five minutes later when Olsen headed home Henriksen's fourth corner of the match. Olsen's head was also involved in ERAU's fourth goal as she flicked on a ball, played in by Obita, to Ange Durston-Ryan on the back post and Durston-Ryan slotted home her third goal of the year for a four-goal Eagle advantage.
Embry-Riddle closed its first-half scoring the way it began the game; scoring on a corner kick. The Florida Memorial defense managed to get a foot on Henriksen's corner, but the clearance went only as far as Edeland whose strike was stopped by Patrizzi. The Lions' goalkeeper could not hold on to the ball and Olsen corralled the rebound and rifled home her second goal of the day for a 5-0 Eagle lead at the half.
Head Coach Samantha Bohon and her coaching staff made a few line-up changes at the break and the new players started the second half with the same intensity that their teammates displayed in the first. The intensity paid off just 55 seconds into the half. Lauren McCall out-maneuvered her defender and took the ball deep into the right corner. Her cross made its way to Durston-Ryan whose shot from inside the six-yard box was stopped by Patrizzi, but once again the Eagles were alert on the rebound and Carlye Belser knocked in her first goal of the year to extend the cushion to 6-0.
The Eagles created other opportunities to score but were unable to find the back of the net again resulting in the 6-0 final.
The Eagles' next contest will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 when they return to the friendly confines of the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium to host Webber International.
