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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

Austin Coffey

No. 24 Night Hawks Snap No. 11 @ERAUMSoccer's Winning Streak with 2-1 Win

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Magnus Magnusson scored the Eagles' lone goal on Saturday.
Box Score

THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The 11th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles saw their 10 match winning streak come to an end in Thomasville, Ga. On Saturday afternoon as the Thomas Night Hawks took down ERAU 2-1. The loss sends the Eagles to 11-2 overall and they wrap up their conference slate at 9-1, while TU moves to 11-3-2 and 7-0-2 in league action. The Eagles, who wrapped up the 2013 Sun Conference regular season crown on Wednesday, travels to Flagler next Friday for their season finale scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
 
The first half was evenly played by the Eagles and Night Hawks, although Thomas nearly went up 1-0 early when Jarrod Ingram's shot was saved by a diving Nils Carlson in the fourth minute, bouncing off the right post. The follow-up shot from Lyle Gifford was high and it took another six minutes before either team attempted a shot.
 
Viktor Gudnason had a pair of chances in the 10th and 13 minutes, both going wide, and Ingram again nearly put his team in front at the 14:12 mark when his chance just barely missed the goal.
 
Gudnason had a chance in the 18th minute when his header missed wide left, after which another break in goal chances occurred  until the 30th minute.
 
Diego Ramos buried a strike from 25 yards out into the upper-left corner of the net to put the hosts up. It was Ramos' first score of the season and Rowan Liburd's sixth assist of 2013.
 
Captain Ally MacDonald recorded the visitors first shot on frame in the 32nd minute, but his header was saved by Andi Hoffer to keep the game 1-0 in favor of the Night Hawks.
 
Ingram's shot at point-blank range with 33 minutes gone was saved by Carlson, and the Eagles controlled the ball for the next few minutes, leading to the equalizer a few moments later.
 
Nicklas Petersson took a corner in the 37th minute of action, finding the head of Gudnason, but the ball didn't find the goal until Magnus Magnusson got his own head on it for his second goal of the year, bringing Embry-Riddle level at 1-1.
 
Neither team threatened much the rest of the period until Liburd broke away from several Eagle defenders, but was tracked down in time before he could get a solid shot on Carlson.
 
TU held a slight 7-6 advantage in shots with a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.
 
A few changes for both teams at the break provided a more open match, as the Eagles managed to out-shoot the hosts 11-6 during the frame.
 
A shot from Petersson about five minutes into the period was dramatically saved by TU's keeper, and that would be the last shot the Eagles would have for a while as the Night Hawks kept the ball in the Eagles defensive half and recorded several corners and shots that were turned away by the ERAU defense.
 
With 66 minutes gone in the match, Rowan Liburd outpaced the Eagles' back line and slotted home his 13th goal of the year to give Thomas a 2-1 lead.
 
The rest of the game was dominated by the Blue and Gold, but time after time the Thomas back line and Andi Hoffer were up the challenge.
 
Petersson's free kick was on frame and was destined for the net, but Hoffer made an incredible save to keep his team in front.
 
The last 10 minutes proved tense as the Eagles continued to pepper the Night Hawks' goal with shots, but were continually denied, included Gudnason's shot with eight minutes left that was saved off the line by a member of the TU defense.
 
As the finals seconds ticked away MacDonald nearly pulled the Eagles level with a shot as the horn sounded that glanced past the right post.
 
Embry-Riddle outshot the Night Hawks 17-13, while Thomas was whistled for 11 fouls compared to the Eagles' six.
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