Embry-Riddle vs. Florida Memorial Match Notes

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (1-2-2, 1-1-0) vs. Florida Memorial (5-3-0, 2-0-0)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: ERAU Soccer Stadium
START: 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
LIVE VIDEO: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
LIVE AUDIO: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 1-2-2
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 4-3-3
FLORIDA MEMORIAL'S LAST 5 GAMES: 3-2
FLORIDA MEMORIAL'S LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5

EAGLES TRYING TO STRETCH A WIN INTO A STREAK
Embry-Riddle is looking to stretch its first win of 2014, a 4-1 victory over St. Thomas on Wednesday, into a winning streak tonight as the play host to Florida Memorial. The Eagles' defeat of STU on Wednesday marked the first win over the Bobcats at home since the 2007 season.

Veit Couturier added two goals, including the game-winner, to his 2014 total against the Bobcats, and now stands at six for the year and 43 for his four-year Embry-Riddle career. Couturier was joined by Moriba Ballah and Daniel Gylfason with goals on Wednesday as each doubled their season totals to two scores. Gylfason and fellow freshman Lewis Blackmore lead the team with three assists each.

Senior goalkeeper Nils Carlson has played in all 495 minutes of 2014 for the Blue and Gold, making 33 saves with a 1.64 goals against average in his final Embry-Riddle campaign.

ABOUT THE LIONS
Florida Memorial brings an undefeated Sun Conference record into tonight's league match with the Blue and Gold, claiming victories over Webber International (3-1) and Warner (2-0) last week.

FMU has outscored its opponents 18-10, led by Marco Perreta's six scores and two assists. Pablo Garcia has added four goals to the Lion effort while three different goalkeepers have seen time for Florida Memorial.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
NOV. 9, 2013 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Top-seeded and NAIA No. 13 Embry-Riddle had little trouble with eighth-seeded Florida Memorial on Saturday night in Daytona Beach, earning a 4-0 decision, a drastic difference from the regular season meeting in which the Eagles won 3-2 in overtime. Embry-Riddle (13-2) advances to the conference tournament semifinals with the win, and they will host the semifinals and finals next Friday and Saturday. The Lions end their 2013 season at 4-11 overall.

The match was a rough one as 40 fouls (27 FMU, 13 ERAU) and five yellow cards were issued in the contest.

The two teams combined for four corner kicks and just one shot in the first 15 minutes of play until Martin Irusta Magni's try went wide left at the 15:24 mark.

The Eagles possessed the ball for the majority of the match and in the 22nd minute took advantage, pushing forward and senior Ally MacDonald tried his luck from distance and while his shot hit off the crossbar, fellow senior Nicklas Petersson was the only player around and headed the rebound into the goal for a 1-0 Embry-Riddle lead.

The teams only managed four more shots in the half, as the fouls piled up and the match went to the break with ERAU in front by a goal.

It took 10 minutes for the Blue and Gold to double its lead in the second period when a corner kick from Petersson found MacDonald at the near post and the Eagles' captain headed home his ninth score of the year for a 2-0 lead.

FMU earned three consecutive corners in the 62nd through 63rd mintues of play, but time after time Eagle goalkeeper Nils Carlson and his defense were up to the task.

A Lion foul in their half of the field at the 66:10 mark allowed the Eagles to start a semi-fast break as Petersson took the free kick and found a streaking MacDonald down the left side of the pitch before the Inverness, Scotland native crossed the ball to freshman Magnus Magnusson who's header shot marked the third header goal for the Eagles in the match.

Substitutions and fouls scattered the final 25 minutes of play, and Viktor Gudnason concluded the scoring with an 81st minute goal when Veit Couturier wisely played the senior forward as the FMU keeper was out of position and Gudnason did the rest to account for the 4-0 final.

Florida Memorial managed 14 shots, including six on goal, but Carlson made five saves en route to his eighth shutout of 2013 and the 20th of his career.

Petersson, who ended with a goal and two assists, broke the Embry-Riddle single-season program record with his 20th assist of the year.

The Eagles will take on SCAD Savannah on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in one semifinal of the league tournament. Visit the tournament headquarters for all the information pertaining to the tournament.

FINAL NAIA SEASON
The Eagles will close out their NAIA program history in the 2014 season as the Embry-Riddle Athletic Department will begin transitioning to NCAA II and the Sunshine State Conference. 2014-15 marks Candidacy Year One for the Embry-Riddle program, followed by Candidacy Year Two in 2015-16 and Provisional Membership in 2016-17.

If Embry-Riddle continues to meet all of the NCAA and SSC requirements, the Eagles will become full-fledged members of the NCAA II and the Sunshine State Conference in 2017-18.

EAGLES RANKED No. 9 IN PRESEASON POLL
Following a succesful 2013 season, the Eagles received preseason recognition from the NAIA Coaches' Poll as Embry-Riddle was slotted ninth in the preseason poll.

ERAU was also chosen to repeat as Sun Conference regular season champions by the league coaches, earning four first-place votes and 93 total points in the poll.

2014 Sun Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Embry-Riddle - 93 (4)
2. Thomas - 91 (4)
3. Northwood - 77 (2)
4. SCAD Savannah - 76 (1)
5. Florida Memorial - 58
6. St. Thomas - 56
7. Southeastern - 45
8. Webber International - 37
9. Warner - 32
10. Johnson & Wales - 24
11. Ave Maria - 16

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team

NUMBERS TO WATCH
5,522 - Career Minutes played by Nils Carlson, third-most all-time in program history.
234 - Wins in Head Coach Dave Gregson's 20-year tenure at Embry-Riddle.
108 - Veit Couturier's career point total. He trails all-time leader Jasmin Kadric by 28 points.
15 - Points contributed by Eagle newcomers in 2014
7 - Wins against the Lions all-time for the Eagles, including a pair in 2013
1.2 - Goals per game for Couturier in his senior campaign

GREGSON REMAINS ONE OF NAIA'S ELITE
Dave Gregson will coach his 21st season at Embry-Riddle in 2014, and the Eagles' manager holds distinction amongst his NAIA peers. Gregson's 234 victories at ERAU rank 14th on the NAIA's active winningest coaching list, while his .648 winning percentage ranks 10th amongst those coaches.