EMBRY-RIDDLE

Oct. 11, 2013 | Daytona Beach, Fla. | ERAU Soccer Stadium
All-Time Series Record: Northwood leads 15-11

NAIA #1 Embry-Riddle (9-1-1) vs. NAIA #5 Northwood (3-3, 0-1)
DATE: Friday, Oct 11, 2013
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium
START: 6 p.m.
SERIES: ERAU leads 15-11
LAST MEETING: NU def. ERAU 2-1 (OT) on Oct. 31, 2012
LAST MEETING: ERAU def. SCAD 1-0 on Oct. 19, 2012
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
TWITTER: @ERAUWSoccer
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ABOUT THE EAGLES
After beginning the season ranked sixth in the national polls, the Embry-Riddle women's soccer team has steadily climbed up the ranks and now sits in the No. 1 spot according to the fifth edition of the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, which was released on Tuesday. The Eagles, who spent the last two weeks at No. 2, received 17 first-place votes and 588 total points to move into the top spot for the first time in program history. This achievement also marks the first time that an Embry-Riddle women's program has been ranked No. 1.

Currently 9-1-1 on the year, the Eagles are riding an eight-match winning streak, which includes a pair of 1-0 victories over SCAD Savannah and South Carolina Beaufort last week. The Eagles have notched wins against three nationally ranked opponents, including defending national champion and second-ranked Lindsey Wilson, No. 4 Concordia and No. 10 William Carey.

LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles were 2-0 last weekend, notching 1-0 victories against then-No. 23 SCAD Savannah and South Carolina Beaufort. The Eagles' win over the Bees of SCAD came in dramatic fashion as Katherine Ebbs finished a Valerie Obita cross with just 17 seconds left in regulation for the only score of the game.

The lone goal of the game against USCB came in the 41st minute, when Obita raced past the USCB defenders and sent the ball flying from the right side right in front of the goal where Isabelle Haaranen was waiting. Haaranen shot the ball in the upper-left hand corner right past the reach of the USCB keeper Chelsie Mummert, to give the Eagles the one goal advantage.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS
Head Coach Matt Dunn is in his third season at the helm of the Northwood women's soccer program. Last season, the Seahawks edged Embry-Riddle in overtime to win The Sun Conference regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Championship before closing out the season at 14-4-1.

The fifth-ranked Seahawks bring an 8-1-1 record into Friday's contest. Their most recent win was a 3-2 overtime decision against 17th-ranked St. Thomas. Three-time Sun Conference Player of the Year, Helen Lynskey, is Northwood's leading scorer with 11 goals on the year, while Linnea Lindmark and Louise Anderson have added seven goals each. The reigning league Offensive Player of the Week, Lindmark also leads the side with six assists, while Mathilda Ojaniemi has anchored NU's goalkeeping duties with 19 saves and a 0.95 goals against average.

THE ERAU-NU SERIES
Tonight's game marks the fifth time that Embry-Riddle and Northwood have faced each other as ranked foes in women's soccer. Northwood is 15-11 all-time against the Eagles, including a pair of 2-1 decisions in 2012. The last meeting between the two teams was on Oct. 31, 2012 when the Seahawks edged the Eagles 2-1 in overtime in The Sun Conference regular season championship.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
A goal in the final minute of overtime gave the No. 22 Northwood women's soccer team (13-4-1) a 2-1 win over eighth-ranked Embry-Riddle in the 2012 Sun Conference regular season championship game.

Northwood grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute off the boot of Elina Landeskog. ERAU goalkeeper Lauren Gallant made an outstanding save to deny Helen Lynskey, but the ball went out of touch for a Northwood corner. After the ball was played into the box, the ERAU defense was unable to clear it out and following a brief scramble Taryn Pardoe tapped a pass to Landeskog who finished the play to give the Seahawks the lead.

The Eagles took three shots in the first half, but despite a couple of near-miss headers by Allison Schultz and Katherine Ebbs, ERAU was unable to find the back of the net and went into the halftime break down a goal.

Five minutes into the second half, it appeared that Embry-Riddle would be able to even the score when a Northwood player was called for a foul inside the 18-yard box. Martine Olsen took the ensuing penalty kick, but Seahawks goalkeeper Mathilda Ojaniemi managed to come up with the save to keep the Northwood lead intact.

As the second half progressed, Northwood seemed to have the game in hand as the Eagles were unable to get on the scoreboard, but with 56 seconds left in regulation, Helena Hansson settled a throw-in and sent the ball forward where it bounced off the last Northwood defender into the path of Krizzy Menez. Menez raced toward the goal where her attempt was stopped by Ojaniemi. Ojaniemi was unable to control the ball and the Eagles' Valerie Obita shook her defenders, pounced on the rebound and volleyed the ball into the upper netting to draw the Eagles level and send the game into overtime.

The overtime period saw the Eagles maintain possession for the majority of the frame. Ojaniemi just managed to get a touch to turn back a header by Olsen and Obita's attempt skidded just wide of the far post to keep the Eagles off the board and Northwood in the game.

With just 46 seconds showing on the clock Northwood mounted a counter attack down the right side. Pardoe lifted a ball into the box where Landeskog managed to get a touch at the last second and push it into the net to give the Lady Seahawks the win.

RAISING THE BAR
Embry-Riddle senior Martine Olsen worked her way into the top three in four of the Eagles' all-time offensive categories last season. She came into the 2013 season as the Eagles' all-time leader in game-winners (19) and with a goal against Kansas Wesleyan (Sept. 13) she joined Elina Johansson at the top of the Eagles career scoring list with 64 goals.

Valerie Obita is also climbing the offensive charts. With 16 points on five goals and six assists, the senior ranks third behind Johansson and Olsen in points (139) and goals (59) and is third in game-winners (15).
ERAU Women's Soccer Individual Records

EMBRY-RIDDLE BY THE NUMBERS
1    Current rank for ERAU Women's Soccer in NAIA Top 25 poll
2    NAIA National Quarterfinal Appearances
3    Conference tournament titles held by ERAU Women's Soccer
5    Seniors on the 2013 roster
6    Goals by Martine Olsen in 2013
9    Home contests for the Eagles this season, including five TSC games
12    NAIA National Tournament Appearances
16    Seasons of Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer
58    Wins amassed by the 2013 senior class
87  Wins by Samantha Bohon. now in her seventh season as ERAU's Head Coach
102    All-time conference wins by Embry-Riddle

TOPPING THE CHARTS
After being ranked at No. 6 in the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll, the Eagles have climbed to the No. 1 spot in the national ranking. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Eagles have notched wins over No. 2 Lindsey Wilson, No. 4 Concordia (Ore.) and No. 10 William Carey.

DEFENSIVE SUCCESS
ERAU Women's Soccer has posted seven shutouts so far this season. The Eagles rank fourth in the NAIA in total shutouts. Sophomore Olivia Lynch ranks 10th among all goalkeepers with a 0.51 goals against average.

ERAU IN THE SUN CONFERENCE
Embry-Riddle owns a 102-37-6 all-time Sun Conference record in 16 seasons. The Eagles are 44-10-2 in league play with Samantha Bohon at the helm. The Eagles have won five regular season and four tournament titles.

TOUGH SLATE
Bohon has put together one of the best schedules in the country for the Eagles in 2013, including Friday's contest against Stetson. All but one of the Eagles' non-conference NAIA opponents made the NAIA National Championship last season, including defending champion No. 1 Lindsey Wilson.

PRESEASON FAVORITES
The Blue and Gold topped The Sun Conference preseason poll for the fourth consecutive season after advancing to the NAIA National Tournament quarterfinals in 2012 and claiming the 2012 Sun Conference Tournament Crown, the squad's fourth straight tournament title. The Eagles, coached by 2012 Conference Coach of the Year Bohon received five first-place votes and 115 total points in the poll, never placing below second on any ballot.