PORTLAND, Ore. – The fourth-ranked Embry-Riddle women's' soccer team closed out play in the Cavalier Cup hosted by Concordia (Ore.) with a 4-1 defeat of 12th-ranked Hastings, Sunday at Concordia's Tuominen Field. The Eagles, who were led by two goals from
Valerie Obita, improved their overall record to 2-2, while the Broncos fall to 0-2 on the year.
The Eagles came out pressuring the Hastings defense early in the contest, but it was Hastings that scored the first goal of the game against the run of play in the eighth minute after the ball went over the end line for a Bronco corner kick. Amanda Olson took the corner and the ball fell to Megan Michel whose volley found Kelsey Nealon and Nealon scored her first goal of the year to put Hastings up 1-0.
The Eagles answered in the 19th minute when Obita won the ball just over the midfield stripe in the Eagles' defensive half and used a deft touch to beat her defender and race toward the goal. Once inside the box, the junior took the ball all the way to the end line and managed to the play the ball off Hastings goalkeeper Brittany Ott and the post before it went into the net to pull the Eagles level at 1-1.
The play that led to the Eagles second goal of the afternoon had a similar start to their first, but this time it started with the ball at
Ange Durston-Ryan's feet. Durston-Ryan's quick turn left her defender at a stand-still in the midfield and she took the ball 30 yards down field before completing a pass to Obita on the left side. Obita picked out
Krizzy Menez on the right side and the senior passed the ball into the net to put the Blue and Gold up 2-1.
With just 21 seconds remaining in the first half,
Martine Olsen widened the gap for the Eagles, taking a pass from Menez and netting her fourth goal of the season.
ERAU wasted little time recording its fourth goal, scoring just 88 seconds into the second frame. Menez, whose speed put the Broncos on their heels for much of the contest, dribbled past five Hastings defenders and took the ball into the box where she got a pass off to Obita. Obita's initial shot was stopped by Ott but Obita collected the rebound and slotted a low strike into the back of the net to extend the Eagle advantage to 4-1.
The Eagles had several more chances to add to their tally, outshooting the Broncos 9-2 in the second half and 23-8 in the contest, but the Hastings defense, behind three saves from Ott and two stops from Hannah Sendele who entered the game after Ott left with an injury, limited the damage.
The Eagles will be back in action Sept. 7-9 when the host the second annual Habitat for Humanity Invitational at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium. The tournament opens on Friday with top-ranked Lee taking on No. 15 Northwood at 5 p.m. followed by the Eagles versus Oklahoma Baptist at 7:30 p.m.
