NAIA #2 Embry-Riddle (8-1-1, 3-0) vs. South Carolina Beaufort (4-6-1, 1-2)
DATE: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013
CITY: Beaufort, S.C.
SITE: Fin Land Field
START: 1 p.m.
SERIES: ERAU leads 2-0
LAST MEETING: ERAU def. USCB 5-0 on Oct. 21, 2012
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
TWITTER: @ERAUWSoccer
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ABOUT THE EAGLES
The second-ranked Embry-Riddle women's soccer team improved to 3-0 in Sun Conference play with a last-minute goal against No. 23 SCAD Savannah on Friday. The Bees kept the Eagles on their toes in the first 15 minutes of the game, registering five shots, including three on frame. Eagle goalie
Olivia Lynch got the Eagles off to a good start, registering three saves during that stretch.
In the 20th minute,
Katherine Ebbs placed a corner kick inside the SCAD box and Obita put it in the goal. However, Obita was ruled offside and the game remained scoreless. The Eagles' only shot on goal in the first half came when Andrea Frøshaug raced down the right side and past the SCAD defenders for a one-on-one shot with SCAD goalkeeper Ande Eich. Frøshaug shot the ball to the left side of the goal but Eich was there for the save.
Both teams had close calls in the second half with shots for both sides going just wide of the mark. The game seemed destined for overtime when in the 90th minute, Ebbs got the game-winner.
With just 17 seconds left to go in the scoreless game,
Valerie Obita took the ball down the right side with a defender on her back and crossed the ball right in front of the goal. Ebbs put a foot on it and knocked it in past Eich, resulting in the 1-0 win for the Eagles.
ABOUT THE SAND SHARKS
Under the guidance of Head Coach Ed Heberling, the Sand Sharks are 4-6-1 on they year and have a 1-2 record in league play following a 2-0 loss to Thomas on Friday evening.
Steph Moldenhauer is leading the Sand Sharks' offense with 12 points on five goals and two assists. Brittany Lorentz is second on the points list with 10 and is tied with Jessica Tooley for the team lead in assists with four. Chelsie Mummert has seen most of the playing time in goal for USCB this season, collecting 69 saves in 956 minutes for a 2.45 goals against average.
THE ERAU-USCB SERIES
USCB is in only its third year of competition and the Sand Sharks and the Eagles have squared off on the soccer field in each of the last two seasons. The Eagles lead the all-time series at 2-0, including a 5-0 win at home on Oct. 21, 2012.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The last meeting between the Embry-Riddle and USCB women's soccer teams was on Oct. 21, 2012 when the Eagles downed the Sand Sharks 5-0 to win The Sun Conference's North Division title.
The Eagle defense limited the Sand Sharks to just four shots in the game, three of which were taken in the second half, with only one needing
Lauren Gallant to make a save. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles tested Chelsie Mummert with 25 shots, 12 of which were on goal, resulting in two goals in the first half and three in the second.
The Eagles' first goal started when
Helena Hansson played a ball from the center of the field out to
Ange Durston-Ryan. Durston-Ryan turned and dribbled down the right side and launched a ball that went across the goal and into the upper left side netting to put the Eagles up 1-0 just 3:49 into the contest.
After a bit of a stalemate, the Eagles got their second goal of the day in the 29th minute when
Krizzy Menez slipped a ball through to
Valerie Obita who dribbled into the box before slotting a shot past Chelsie Mummert for a 2-0 Eagle advantage at the half.
The Eagles continued to pressure the Sand Shark defense in the second half but it took 20 minutes for the Blue and Gold to add another goal to their tally. At the 66 minute mark,
Katherine Ebbs passed the ball out wide to Obita who dribbled into the box before getting a shot off. Mummert got her fingertips to the ball but Menez was on hand to grab the rebound and tapped in her 11th goal of the year to make the score 3-0.
Less than two minutes later, Obita and Menez combined for another score as Obita played a ball through to Menez that not only split two defenders, but caught Mummert way off her line. Menez took a quick touch to get by Mummert and walked the ball into goal to extend the Eagle lead to 4-0.
With 15 minutes left in the contest, ERAU Head Coach
Samantha Bohon made a few lineup changes, one of which was moving senior
Brianna Zangara from defense to the front line. Ten minutes later, the move paid off as Zanagara took a pass from Gabriela Cassariego and knocked in the first goal of her Embry-Riddle career to seal the Eagle win.
RAISING THE BAR
Embry-Riddle senior
Martine Olsen has worked her way into the top-three in four of the Eagles' all-time offensive categories. 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
70 - Wins amassed by the 2013 senior class
86 - Wins by Head Coach
Samantha Bohon
101 - 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.), No. 10 William Carey and No. 23 SCAD Savannah, 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. All but one of the Eagles' non-conference NAIA opponents made the NAIA National Championship last season, including defending national champion Lindsey Wilson.
