NAIA #2 Embry-Riddle (5-1-1) vs. Webber International (1-3-1)
DATE: Thursday, Sept 26, 2013
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium
START: 6 p.m.
SERIES: ERAU leads 22-2-1
LAST MEETING: ERAU def. WIU 4-1 on Nov. 3, 2012
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
TWITTER: @ERAUWSoccer
TEXT ALERTS: Sign up at erauathletics.com
ABOUT THE EAGLES
The Eagles are tied for second in the latest NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll and enter Thursday's game with a 5-1-1 ledger following a 2-1 defeat of fourth-ranked Concordia (Ore.) on Sept. 15 as part of the 2013 Habitat for Humanity Invitational.
The Cavaliers capitalized on a defensive lapse by the Eagles to net the first goal of the day in the 15th minute. Hannah Scott pushed a ball through the defense, which McKayla Madison collected at the far post and tucked a shot below a diving
Olivia Lynch for a 1-0 Concordia lead.
Following a brief stoppage due to injury, the Eagle midfield recovered the ball in the 25th minute and played it forward to Andrea Frøshaug. Frøshaug dribbled through the heart of the Concordia defense before netting her second goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1.
Less than three minutes later, Frøshaug struck again. This time, the sophomore collected the ball inside 18-yard box and maneuvered around a pair of Cavalier defenders before slotting the ball home to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The Eagles had a chance to add to its tally in the second frame, but
Isabelle Haaranen shot was cleared off the line. A while later,
Valerie Obita beat her defender and got all the way to the end line, but her cross whistled past the goal and just out of reach of a couple of ERAU attackers.
Concordia also had opportunities to equalize, including a header the sailed just high of the mark. Both sides came up with big defensive plays throughout the course of the match, resulting in a scoreless second half and the 2-1 final.
Martine Olsen leads the Eagles in scoring with 12 points on six goals on the year, while
Valerie Obita has added nine points to the Eagles' tally on the three goals and three assists.
Katherine Ebbs leads the squad in assists with four. Sophomore goalkeeper
Olivia Lynch has a miniscule 0.60 goals against average to go with 31 saves and four shutouts.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS
Under the guidance of first year head coach Ashley Cockrell, the Warriors come into Thursday's contest at 1-3-1 on the year. WIU picked up its first tie of the season on Tuesday with a 0-0 double overtime decision against NCAA II Florida Southern. Senior goalkeeper Makenzie Vance was the story for WIU as she recorded 10 saves, including six in the second overtime period to keep the Mocs off the board. Phillipa Wilson is the Warriors' offensive leader with two goals on the year, while Jessica Morejon and Aubrie Strohmenger have chipped in two goals apiece.
THE ERAU-WIU SERIES
The Eagles and the Warriors have done battle 25 times. The Eagles are 22-2-1 against the Warriors, including a 4-1 win over WIU in the semifinal round of the 2012 Sun Conference on Nov. 3, 2012
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The Eagles and the Warriors last met in the semifinals of The Sun Conference tournament on Nov. 3, 2012. The Embry-Riddle women, seeded No. 1 in the seven-team tournament, topped fourth-seeded Webber International 4-1 to advance and improve their overall record to 14-5.
The Eagles scored the first goal of the contest at the 8:17 mark.
Krizzy Menez raced down the right side and got a shot off. WIU goalkeeper Makenzie Vance dove and managed to get and hand to the ball, but pushed it into the path of
Martine Olsen who took advantage of an empty net to bury her 14th goal of the season and put the Eagles up 1-0.
Â
With just under 10 minutes remaining in the half, Alexis Garrand got the ball on the left flank and delivered a cross into the box where Ashley Palmer pushed it past ERAU netminder
Lauren Gallant to pull the Lady Warriors level, 1-1.
Â
Both teams worked hard to create additional scoring chances, but neither team was able to convert, resulting in a 1-1 halftime deadlock.
The Eagles' second goal came in the 62nd minute when Menez added a goal to her assist. The play started at midfield where Olsen lifted a perfectly weighted ball into
Valerie Obita's path. The junior dribbled into the box before completing a square pass to
Katherine Ebbs. Ebbs' shot was stopped by Vance, but once again, the Warrior goalkeeper surrendered a rebound and Menez took advantage of the miscue to net her 13th goal of the year and reclaim a one-goal lead for the Blue and Gold.
Â
Just two minutes later, Menez was in action again. This time, she delivered a short cross in to Ebbs who, for the second time in as many tries, had her shot stopped by Vance. Once again, Vance was unable to corral the shot and Obita was on hand to tap in the rebound, widening the gap to 3-1.
Â
With under two minutes remaining Obita added the exclamation point with an unassisted score, registering her team-high 16th goal for the 4-1 final.
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 nine points on three goals and three assists, the senior ranks third behind Johansson and Olsen in points (133) and goals (57) and is tied for third in game-winners (14).
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
67 - Wins amassed by the 2013 senior class
83 - All-time wins by Head Coach
Samantha Bohon
98 - 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.
Â
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. 1 Lindsey Wilson, No. 4 Concordia (Ore.), No. 13 William Carey and No. 24 Kansas Wesleyan. 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 No. 1 Lindsey Wilson.
