DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle Eagles opened up their 2013 Sun Conference schedule on Wednesday night with a 3-1 win over visiting Northwood at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium. The Eagles (3-1, 1-0) overcame a sluggish start after a two week layoff, scoring twice in the second frame to down the Seahawks (3-4, 1-1) who had won two straight.
Viktor Gudnason tallied two goals for the Blue and Gold, doubling his season total, including scoring the game-winner in the 57th minute off a perfect heel flick from freshman
Sigurbergur Elisson.
Veit Couturier also scored for the hosts, burying a penalty kick in the right corner of the net in the 85th minute of action, pushing the game out of reach for the Seahawks.
Neither team could establish much of a game plan early on as the first 20 minutes featured just one shot from either squad and much of the play was in the middle of the field. That changed in the 21st minute when
Ally MacDonald, making a fantastic run up the left side of the pitch, fed a cross into the near corner of the Seahawks' penalty area where Gudnason was waiting. The senior settled the pass from MacDonald and fired a shot past a diving Patrick O'Neil for the first score of the contest.
The Eagles couldn't keep the momentum from Gudnason's goal as the team managed just one more shot in the first half and saw their lead dissapear in the 36th minute.
A free kick from near the half by Olli Isosalo flicked off the head of an Eagle defender in the box, bouncing off the left post right to the waiting feet of Victor Lindstrom who one-timed the rebound into the goal to knot the score at 1-1.
The two teams traded possession for the remainder of the period, neither team mounting much of a threat, and the halftime break came with a knotted score.
The first 10 minutes of the second frame looked much like the first until Elisson made the spectacular heel pass to Gudnason in the 57th minute, this time in the right side of the box and Gudnason's rocket had no chance to be stopped by O'Neil, pushing the Eagles in front, 2-1.
Embry-Riddle enjoyed the better possession and chances the rest of the contest, including several shots from Elisson,
Magnus Magnusson and
Nicklas Petersson that missed just wide of the pipes. Petersson's 64th minute shot on frame was cleared off the line by a Seahawk defender after Petersson had beaten the goalie and several defenders in the box.
The nail in the coffin came in the 85th minute when Couturier earned a penalty when he was taken down in the box, and the junior had little trouble with his second PK conversion of the season as the Eagles enjoyed a 3-1 advantage.
Nils Carlson was rarely tested in goal as the Eagle keeper made one save while facing just eight shots (two on goal).
The Eagles stay at home to host Johnson & Wales on Saturday at 7 p.m. in another Sun Conference match played at the ERAU Soccer Stadium.
