MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The 21st-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles got two goals from senior captain
Ally MacDonald, as well as an assist from the Inverness, Scotland native to lead the Blue and Gold to a 4-1 road victory over St. Thomas on Wednesday. The Eagles (5-1, 3-0) controlled the game for the most part, holding the Bobcats (1-5, 0-3) to just five shots on frame en route to winning the squad's fourth straight match.
In contradiction from the rest of the game, the Bobcats were the first to threaten as a STU forward broke away from the Eagle defense and placed a shot just wide of goal that would have put St. Thomas up in the third minute of play.
Eagle keeper
Nils Carlson was called into action sparingly during the first frame, but on one such occassion, came off his line well and stopped a breakaway by STU on what appeared to be a sure goal.
It took the Eagles until the 44th minute to reach the scoreboard as MacDonald rifled home a shot from 25 yards out off his left foot into the lower-right corner of the STU goal, giving the Eagles a 1-0 halftime lead.
Embry-Riddle wasted no time in the second period as MacDonald's diving header 67 second in to the frame off a
Nicklas Petersson free kick pushed the ERAU advantage to 2-0.
From that point forward the Eagles had the better of the match and three minutes later when MacDonald switched fields and found Petersson, the fellow senior buried his fourth goal of the season as the Eagles went in front 3-0.
The Eagles enjoyed a 12-5 advantage in corners during the match, but the Bobcats earned more in the second period, and nearly scored several times, but the ERAU defense wouldn't budge.
Viktor Gudnason tied MacDonald with his fifth goal of the year in the 71st minute, becoming the beneficiary of a
Sigurbergur Elisson pass after the freshman deftly dribbled around his defender outside the penalty box before feeding Gudnason for a 4-0 Eagle lead.
Junior Montano broke up the Eagles' shutout in the 74th minute on a strike from deep, a curling shot that dipped below the crossbar. But the Eagles weren't in danger and easily held on for the 4-1 decision.
A 22-14 advantage in shots helped the Eagle cause while Carlson made four saves in goal for the Blue and Gold.
The win marked the first win since 2008 for Embry-Riddle against St. Thomas, despite a sloppy pitch that kept Eagle athletic trainer
Kelley Harrison busy on the sideline stretching the Eagles out. The Eagles' 5-1 mark is the best start since 2009 when the Eagles went 6-1 to open the season.
ERAU makes the return to south Florida on Saturday with a 4 p.m. date against Florida Memorial in Miramar, Fla.
