NAIA #2 Embry-Riddle (7-1-1, 2-0) vs. No. 23 SCAD Savannah (5-4, 1-1)
DATE: Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
CITY: Hardeeville, S.C.
SITE: SCAD Sports Complex
START: 5 p.m.
SERIES: SCAD leads 9-6-3
LAST MEETING: ERAU def. SCAD 1-0 on Oct. 19, 2012
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
TWITTER: @ERAUWSoccer
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ABOUT THE EAGLES
The second-ranked Embry-Riddle women's soccer team achieved a program milestone with a 5-0 victory over Warner last Sunday. The victory marked the program's 100th conference win and extended the Eagles' 2013 record to 7-1-1 overall and 2-0 in Sun Conference play.
The Eagles dominated the offense from the beginning, keeping the Royals pinned in their own half. Working around a Royal defense that had all 11 players in their half of the field, the Eagles tallied nine shots on frame before finally getting on the board in the 30th minute. Just five minutes after entering the contest,
Kristin Sverrisdottir rocketed a shot from about 35 yards out to put the Eagles up 1-0.
Eight minutes later, another substitute,
Aimee Kasmally, crossed the ball in from the right side.
Gabriela Casariego was at the top of the box and managed to get just enough of a touch on the ball to get it to
Isabelle Haaranen who tucked a shot into the lower right corner to make the score 2-0 in the Eagles' favor.
Kasmally got on to the scoreboard herself early in the second half. The play started with Andrea Frøshaug who had free reign to run down the right side. She played the ball forward to Sverissdottir who dribbled into the box before delivering a low driven cross across the face of goal. Kasmally ran in toward the far post and tapped in the first goal of her collegiate career to extend the Eagle advantage to 3-0.
Frøshaug registered an unassisted goal in the 55th minute and
Janina Helwig capped off the Eagle scoring at the 87:39 mark, running onto a ball played in by Ebbs and dribbling unimpeded into he box before slotting home her first goal of the season.
Valerie Obita leads the Eagles in points with 13 on five goals and three assists on the year, while
Martine Olsen has added 12 points to the Eagles' tally on the a team-high six goals.
Katherine Ebbs leads the squad in assists with five. Sophomore goalkeeper
Olivia Lynch has a miniscule 0.65 goals against average to go with 31 saves and four shutouts.
ABOUT THE BEES
The SCAD Savannah women's soccer team is ranked 23rd nationally according to the lated NAIA Coaches' poll. Led by 13th-year head coach Andy Williamson, the Bees bring a 5-1 overall record into Friday's contest, including a 1-1 mark in the league.
Their last game saw the Bees leave South Florida with an 8-0 victory over Florida Memorial. Laerke Michaelsen, Alexandra Weinberg and Nicole Wittak registered two goals apiece in the win, while Ciara Thomas and Sara Hall combined for the Bees second shutout of the year.
Wittak is the leading scorer with eight goals for SCAD, a team averaging 2.44 goals per game. Michaelsen is close behind with nine goals, while Shelby Dieckamp leads the team in assists with seven. Ande Eich has been the Bees' primary goalkeeper, starting in seven matches. She has played 600 minutes and has 25 saves and a 1.95 goals against average.
THE ERAU-SCAD SERIES
The Eagles and the Bees have faced each other in women's soccer on 18 times occasions. The Bees have had the better of the series with a 9-6-3 all-time record against the Eagles, but ERAU has won four of the last five matches, with the fifth contest ending in a tie. The last meeting between the two teams was on Oct. 19, 2012 when ERAU topped SCAD 1-0.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
A first half goal by senior
Krizzy Menez was all the seventh-ranked Embry-Riddle women's soccer team needed to get by SCAD Savannah in Sun Conference action on Oct. 19, 2012.
The first half saw both teams struggle to control the ball. The Eagles had the better of the offense outshooting the Bees 4-0 in the first frame. The Eagles registered their first shot on frame in the ninth minute off the boot of
Janina Helwig, but SCAD goalkeeper Ciara Thomas was able to come up with the save to keep the Eagles off the board.
After three early attempts, including an
Ange Durston-Ryan shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out, the Eagles netted their first only of the night in the 39th minute.
Valerie Obita collected ball at midfied and used her strength and speed to hold off her SCAD defender and bring the ball down the right side. After completing a pass to Durston-Ryan, Obita continued her run, which allowed her to get the ball back deep in the right corner. The junior sent the ball across the face of the SCAD goal where Menez rose to head home her 10th goal of the year to give the Blue and Gold a 1-0 halftime advantage.
While the game's intensity picked up slightly in the second frame, both teams still struggled to find their offense. Thomas was able to turn back all three of the Eagles' shots on goal, while her ERAU counterpart
Lauren Gallant went virtually untested at the other end, not having to make a save. The result was a scoreless second half, which gave the Eagles 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 13 points on five goals and three assists, the senior ranks third behind Johansson and Olsen in points (137) and goals (59) and is third in game-winners (15).
ERAU Women's Soccer Individual Records
EMBRY-RIDDLE BY THE NUMBERS
2 - NAIA National Quarterfinal Appearances
2 - Current rank for ERAU Women's Soccer in NAIA Top 25 poll
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
69 - Wins amassed by the 2013 senior class
85 - Wins by Head Coach
Samantha Bohon
100 - All-time conference wins by Embry-Riddle
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. Embry-Riddle returns five All-Conference performers from a 17-6 (8-1) team a year ago, including second team All-America honoree
Valerie Obita and third team All-America selection
Tova Torstensson.
TOP 10 RANKING
After being ranked at No. 6 in the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll, the Eagles have climbed to No. 2 in the national ranking. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Eagles have notched wins over No. 3 Lindsey Wilson, No. 4 Concordia (Ore.) and No. 10 William Carey, as well as Auburn Montgomery and Kansas Wesleyan who are listed among the teams receiving votes. The No. 2 ranking is the highest the Eagles have ever achieved.
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 Lindsey Wilson.
