AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men's soccer team cruised to a 6-0 conference road victory over the Ave Maria Gyrenes on Friday evening.
 
The Eagles (3-2-3, 3-1-1) have won three of their last four contests, while the Gyrenes (1-7, 0-5) have lost five straight.
 
The Blue and Gold took control of match from the very beginning as Veit Couturier scored just 58 seconds into the game, taking a pass from Moriba Ballah and kicking it to left side of net from just a few yards out.
 
As the game continued Ave Maria would have no answer for Couturier.  The Loerrach, Germany native would have a hat trick before the match reached its 17^th minute.  Couturier's second goal came in the seventh minute, from nearly the same spot as the first, off a sharp pass from Daniel McClintock that passed through the legs of Ballah.  The third came less than ten minutes later after Couturier was fouled hard in the box and sent a penalty kick to the left of Ave Maria goalkeeper JC Intriago.
 
Just five minutes later, Jordan Thorpe sent a cross from the left side of the pitch toward Ballah who evaded his defender and put the ball into the back of the net from ten yards out to put the Eagles up 4-0.
 
Things would get a bit chippy before the half ended.  With less than five minutes to go in the first period, freshman Lewis Blackmore was fighting for a ball on the sideline when he was brought down hard on what looked to be a foul by the Ave Maria defender.  However, Blackmore instead was called for a handball as he was going the ground.  The call caused tempers to flare on the Embry-Riddle sideline as Blackmore was yellow carded for arguing the call, causing Eagle head coach David Gregson to share some words with the head official. 
 
Blackmore would get his revenge in the second half, though. 
 
In the 56^th minute freshman Daniel Gylfason was fouled from 25 yards out.  Blackmore would take the ensuing free kick and send it over the extended hand of the goalkeeper, into the top right corner of the net for his second goal of the season.
 
Over the next 20 minutes, the Eagles took a flurry of shots, but failed to find the back of the net.  Overall, Embry-Riddle outshot the Ave Maria 19-2 throughout the match, with an 11-1 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Before the match was over, Couturier would add one more score in the 78^th minute, a strike from the left side of the goal off a beautiful pass from midfield from Birgir Baldursson.  The goal was Couturier's fourth of the game and 12^th of the season.  The senior's four goals on Friday evening bring his career total to 49.  He is now only six goals away from breaking Jasmin Kadric's school record of 54.
 
The Eagles only have six regular season games left.  They will be in action again on Wednesday, Oct. 15 when they host Warner University at Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium.