Embry-Riddle vs. Southeastern Match Notes

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (2-2-2, 2-1-0) at Southeastern (7-3-1, 1-2-1)
DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014
CITY: Lakeland, Fla.
SITE: SEU Fire Soccer Field
START: 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 2-2-1
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 5-2-3
SOUTHEASTERN'S LAST 5 GAMES: 2-2-1
SOUTHEASTERN'S LAST 10 GAMES: 6-3-1

EAGLES LOOKING FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
Embry-Riddle is coming off back-to-back wins last week against St. Thomas and Florida Memorial, marking the first two victories of the season for ERAU. The Blue and Gold scored four goals in each contest and registered the first shutout of the year on Saturday against Florida Memorial.

Veit Couturier pushed his goal-scoring streak to six consecutive contests on Saturday, and now has 44 career goals with 110 career points. Daniel Gylfason has scored in each of the Eagles' last two games and has recorded an assist in four of ERAU's six matches of 2014.

Joining Couturier and Gylfason with multiple goals is sophomore Moriba Ballah with two, while both Viktor Hafsteinsson and Lewis Blackmore each scored their first collegiate goals on Saturday against the Lions.

Nils Carlson recorded his 22nd career shutout on Saturday and now has a 1.39 goals against average in 2014 with 37 saves and a .804 save percentage.

ABOUT THE FIRE
The Fire, with a 7-3-1 overall record, got their first Sun Conference win of the season on Saturday with a 2-1 (2OT) victory over Johnson & Wales. SEU is now 1-2-1 in TSC action.

Southeastern has scored 30 goals in 11 matches, allowing only 12 to its opponents. Gerritson Craane has tallied six goals with three assists to lead the Fire, while Pedro Ivo Dias has added five scores and three assists. Three other players have scored at least three goals for the Fire.

In net, David Danahy has made 41 saves in 11 games with a 1.07 goals against average.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Oct. 9, 2013 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 16th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles returned home to Daytona Beach on Wednesday after a two-game road trip to South Florida, and although the venue may have changed, the Eagles' winning ways did not as the Blue and Gold secured a 3-0 win over visiting Southeastern in Sun Conference action. Embry-Riddle (7-1, 5-0) controlled the game from the start, holding the Fire to just eight shots, with two on goal, for the squad's fourth shutout of 2013. The Fire (5-5-2, 1-3-1) failed to register a shot on frame in the second period as the Eagles turned a one-goal advantage into a 3-0 victory over the final 45 minutes.

The Eagles recorded three consecutive corner kicks in the fourth minute of play, but the Fire defense held steady and it was Southeastern who had the best first chance of the contest when Sun Conference assist leader Ashton Hicks broke away from the Embry-Riddle defense and had a one-on-one with Nils Carlson. The goalkeeper from Vastra, Sweden made his only save of the night in open play when Hicks' shot came right at him, keeping the game level in the early going.

For several minutes after Carlson's save, neither team was able to generate much of an attack, and it took until the 27th minute for the Eagles to record their first shot on goal. After a punt from SEU's keeper, Veit Couturier controlled the ball in the middle of the field, finding some space and placing a perfect cross to a streaking Nicklas Petersson who slotted home his fifth goal of the season to give Embry-Riddle a 1-0 lead.

Both Petersson and fellow senior Viktor Gudnason had shots miss their targets over the next few moments, and the missed opportunities almost looked to be costly as the Fire earned a penalty kick in the 38th minute after the referee judged an Eagle committed a foul in the box.

Josh Frame took the penalty for Southeastern, but for the second time this season Carlson was up to the challenge, extending to his right to make the save and keep the momentum in the Eagles' favor.

The rest of the period was owned by the hosts and the Eagles took a 1-0 lead into the half.

Ally MacDonald nearly cemented the Eagle advantage with a header in the 47th minute after the break, but his shot clanged off the left post. Leon duplicated MacDonald's post shot with one of his own in the 67th minute, and that would prove to be the final good chance for the visitors the rest of the match.

Substitute Marcus Starke became the first American to score for the Eagles in 2013 when he finished off a play started by Sigurbergur Elisson in the 75th minute. Elisson won a free ball in the middle of the field, carried it forward into the SEU penalty area and dished it to Starke on the right side for the sophomore's first score, extending the Eagle lead to 2-0.

A few minutes later Starke returned the favor, finding Elisson just outside the box and the freshman from Iceland did the rest, taking a dribble before burying his shot for his fourth score as a rookie.

Carlson, who was not tested in the second period, earned his 16th career shutout, moving just one behind Eagle great Viktor Bergstrand for first on the all-time shutout list. His goals-against-average dipped to 1.12 for the year.

The home team enjoyed a 15-8 shot advantage with a 7-2 lead in shots on goal and a 9-3 edge in corner kicks.

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
5,612 - Career Minutes played by Nils Carlson, second-most all-time in program history.
235 - Wins in Head Coach Dave Gregson's 20-year tenure at Embry-Riddle.
110 - Veit Couturier's career point total. He trails all-time leader Jasmin Kadric by 26 points.
21 - Points contributed by Eagle newcomers in 2014
8 - Wins against the Fire all-time for the Eagles, compared to 0 losses
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 235 victories at ERAU rank 14th on the NAIA's active winningest coaching list, while his .648 winning percentage ranks 10th amongst those coaches.