DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- The16th-ranked Embry-Riddle women's soccer team celebrated a program first on Saturday evening with a 5-2 victory over NCAA I Stetson. The win was the Eagles' first against the Hatters in seven tries and their first against an NCAA Division I opponent. ERAU is now 2-0 on the year, while the Hatters drop to 1-2.

A very physical game saw ERAU best Stetson 15-8 in shot attempts, but the Hatters held a decisive 15-1 advantage in corner kick opportunities.

The Eagles won the toss for the kickoff and immediately went on the attack. . After struggling to finish their early chances against ERAU (Ariz.) a week ago, the Eagles wasted little time in capitalizing on an opportunity to score and netted the first goal just  40 seconds into the contest.  Madeleine Edbom started the play from the middle and got the ball out to Valerie Obita on the left. Obita's first touch allowed her to beat the Stetson defender and turn toward the goal. Her drive to goal attracted two more defenders, but Obita was able to get the ball to Olsen who took a brief dribble and slotted the ball past Stetson goalkeeper Laura Seletos to the lower right corner to put the Eagles up 1-0.

In the 13th minute, Tova Torstensson forced the Hatters to turn the ball over deep in the Eagles half. The long clearance out of the back fell to Bjorg Olafs in the midfield. Olafs' quick outlet found Olsen on the run and the ERAU sophomore outpaced the Hatters' last defender and hit another low, driven ball past Seletos to put the Blue and Gold ahead 2-0.

The Hatters were able to cut into the Eagles' two- goal lead with just under 19 minutes left in the first half when Caitlin O'Kennedy scored an unassisted goal to make the score 2-1.

Stetson was finally able to convert on one of their corner kicks a scant 20 seconds later. Colleen O'Kennedy whipped the ball in from the right side and Alexis Hermosa was on hand to meet, notching her second goal of the year to knot the score at 2-2.

The Eagles were able to regroup after the two quick scores by the Hatters and added a third goal in the 34th minute. Krizzy Menez picked off a Stetson attempt at a clearance and found Olsen just outside the 18-yard box. Olsen completed a pass to Menez in the middle of the box and Menez found a wide open Obita, who rifled a shot into the far side netting to give the Blue and Gold  a 3-2 lead at the half.

The beginning of the second half featured a stalemate as neither team was able to add to its tally. Stetson continued to knock on the door with six more corner kicks in the second stanza, but the Eagle defense, led by some key clearances from goalkeeper Lauren Gallant, was up to the challenge and kept the Hatters off the scoreboard through the final 45 minutes.

With 15 minutes remaining in the contest, the Eagles struck again. After taking the ball down the right side, Torstensson lofted a cross into the box that was just out of Seletos reach and fell to an unmarked Ange Durston-Ryan who placed a first-touch volley into the back of the net.

Leading by two goals, the Eagles continued pressure the Stetson defense and were rewarded again in the 78th minute. Menez ran on to a ball play out to the right by Obita and the junior used her speed to create separation between her and her marker. Menez got a cross off from deep in the corner and Obita, who had continued her run, curled out from behind the last Stetson defender and headed home her second goal of the season to seal the win.

The Eagles will be back in action at 7 p.m. on Friday when they host Shorter at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium.