GAMEDAY CENTRAL
#16 Embry-Riddle (7-1, 5-0) vs. Ave Maria (1-9, 0-4)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: ERAU Soccer Stadium
START: 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
LIVE VIDEO: Stretch Internet
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 5-0
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 8-2
EMBRY-RIDDLE AT HOME IN 2013: 3-1
AVE MARIA ON THE ROAD IN 2013: 0-3
AT A GLANCE
The 16th-ranked Eagles stretched their winning streak to six on Wednesday with a shutout of Southeastern, 3-0.
Nicklas Petersson put the Eagles in front with a 27th minute goal and junior keeper
Nils Carlson kept the game in the hosts favor with a penalty save a few moments later.
Marcus Starke and
Sigurbergur Elisson scored for the Blue and Gold in the second half to cement the victory for the Eagles.
The Eagles sit on top of the conference standings at 5-0, but have three of their final four league games on the road, including away dates versus Warner (Oct. 16), SCAD Savannah (Oct. 23) and Thomas (Oct. 26).
ABOUT THE GYRENES
The Gyrenes are looking for a spark after dropping five straight and nine of their 10 games this season. Ave Maria has managed just nine goals in 2013, while allowing 28.
Raymond Morgan and his brother Dwight are in their first season at Ave Maria, with one bright spot being the play of goalie Andres Martin. The junior from Venezuela leads the conference with 77 saves, a number good for seventh in the NAIA. He averages 7.7 saves per match, ninth-best in the nation.
Andres Guerra and Damian Coliqueo each have scored three times, while Guerra's 31 shots and 14 shots on goal paces the AMU offensive attack.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Oct. 6, 2012 - AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men's soccer team won its second conference game of 2013 on Oct. 6 with a 4-1 victory over Ave Maria in Ave Maria, Fla. The Eagles improved to 2-7-1, 2-2-1 in The Sun Conference, while AMU fell to 2-8 overall and 1-4 in Sun Conference play.
The Eagles got on the board early in the first half, scoring four minutes into the game, on a header by
Veit Couturier.
Marcus Starke sent a bender into the near right post, where Couturier was waiting to place it in the back of the net.
The second goal came off of Couturier's foot again, this time he showed his knowledge of the game. The Gyrenes goalkeeper was called for a foul outside the box and while he argued the call Couturier alertly set the ball down and chipped in his eighth goal of the season.
At the 18:41 mark
Alan Vezza got his second goal of the season, as he got his foot on a cross sent in from the right side by
Kamil Balcerzak.
The Blue and Gold played solid defense, allowing one shot on goal and three corners. The Eagles took the 3-0 lead into the half.
Both teams started slow in the second half, with neither team getting many chances. Finally the Eagles mounted an attack.
Veit Couturier beat his man and was taken down inside the box.
Sam Fairhurst took the penalty kick for Embry-Riddle, scoring his first goal of the season and giving the Eagles the 4-0 lead.
Embry-Riddle was denied a chance to extend its lead as
Nicklas Petersson had his shot stopped by Gyrenes goalkeeper Andres Martin on a two-v-one situation.
Ave Maria was quick to counter using Martin's punt as Dan Lomady got to the free ball and made a run down the left side. He got a cross to the middle of the penalty box where Chounem Senat got his foot on the ball and found the upper right corner of the net. It's the first goal the
Gyrenes have scored against the Eagles since a 5-1 Eagles victory on Oct. 24, 2009.
The Eagles outshot the Gyrenes 13-12, including a 7-4 edge in shots on goal.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Gyrenes have yet to record a win against Embry-Riddle in four tries, their closest attempt came in 2011 when they fell 1-0 at home to ERAU.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nils Carlson became the second straight Embry-Riddle Eagle to earn Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors when the league office announced he had been selected on Monday. Carlson, the first repeat Player of the Week in men's soccer, joined
Alan Vezza (defensive) and
Nicklas Petersson (offensive) as Player of the Week honorees.
90-MINUTE MEN
Only one Eagle has played in every minute (722) of Embry-Riddle's matches in 2013: goalkeeper
Nils Carlson. Defenders
Alan Vezza (711)
Ally MacDonald (696) and Viktor Hefsteinsson (689) are the next three Eagles on the list. Carlson moved past
Ian Levine for fourth on the all-time goalkeeper mintue list in Eagle history. He stands at 4,080 minutes in his Embry-Riddle career. However, the junior has a ways to go to catch number three on the list Viktor Bergstrand who played 5,051 minutes as an Eagle.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Several Eagles are moving up the ranks in the Embry-Riddle individual record books, led by Carlson in goal. The Vastra, Sweden native needs just one more shutout to tie Bergstrand with 17 career clean sheets, the most in Eagle history. Carlson also ranks fifth in career saves (179), needing six to move past Bergstrand for fourth all-time. His 1.19 GAA also ranks fifth behind Levine's 1.08 GAA from 2004-07.
Veit Couturier broke into the top 10 in career shots...he stands at 126 in his third season. The all-time leader is Jasmin Kadric with 283. The junior from Loerrach, Germany also needs three assists to be in the top 10 all-time, he currently stands at 16. Couturier's 31 career goals sits eighth in Eagle history and his 78 points is ninth.
ONE OF THE ELITE COACHES
Entering his 20th season at the helm of Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer, Dave Gregson ranked 13th in the NAIA on the active winningest coaching list. Gregson's 226-119-25 record through 20 seasons of play gives him a .642 winning percentage.
