Embry-Riddle vs. Ave Maria Match Notes

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (2-2-3, 2-1-1) at Ave Maria (1-6-0, 0-4-0)
DATE: Friday, Oct. 10, 2014
CITY: Ave Maria, Fla.
SITE: Ave Maria North Park
START: 3 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 2-2-3
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 3-3-4
AVE MARIA'S LAST 5 GAMES: 1-4-0
AVE MARIA'S LAST 10 GAMES: 1-9-0

ROAD TRIP CONTINUES AT AVE MARIA
The Blue and Gold is coming off a 1-1 double-overtime draw with Southeastern on Tuesday, their fourth overtime match in seven 2014 matches.

Veit Couturier continues his torrid scoring streak in his senior campaign, racking up his eighth goal on Tuesday to move tally a score in each of the Eagles first seven contests of the season. Couturier upped his career point total to 112 while his goal total moved to 45.

Daniel Gylfason (3 G, 5 A), Lewis Blackmore (1 G, 3 A) and Moriba Ballah (2 G, 1 A) have chipped in with at least five points each in their first seasons wearing an Eagle uniform.

Nils Carlson moved past Rui Pereira on the all-time saves list with seven saves against the Fire, moving his career total to 274. Carlson ranks second in career minutes (5,722) and first in career shutouts (22), as well as fifth in goals against average (1.15).

ABOUT THE GYRENES
Ave Maria will be trying to snap a four-game skid on Friday afternoon, while also attempting to earn their first win in conference play since Sept. 26, 2012.

AMU has a balanced offensive attack with six different players recording two goals each. Dan Lomady and Alvaro Rodriguez-Rojas have added two assists each to their two-goal outputs, leading the team with six points a piece.

JC Intriago has earned the starting goalkeeper position, posting 31 saves in seven games (four starts) and a 2.81 goals against average.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Oct. 12, 2013 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In an offensive outburst for the ages, the 16th-ranked Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer team emerged with an 18-0 victory over visiting Ave Maria on Saturday night, securing a berth into The Sun Conference Tournament along the way. Senior Nicklas Petersson shone brightest at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium, scoring four goals and racking up a NAIA single-game record eight assists in the victory. Petersson wasn't the only Eagle to reach a milestone on Saturday evening as junior goalkeeper Nils Carlson notched his 17th career shutout, tying Viktor Bergstrand for the Embry-Riddle program record.

The Eagles (8-1, 6-0) dominated every aspect of the game, recording 41 shots (28 on goal), while holding the Gyrenes (1-10, 0-5) to just seven total shots, none of which were on target. 10 different Blue and Gold players scored, led by Petersson's four goals and hat tricks from Veit Couturier and Sigurbergur Ellison.

The Eagles reached the scoreboard in the 4th minute when Petersson beat his defender on the right side of the pitch, crossing a ball to Couturier who slotted home the first of 18 goals on the evening.

Embry-Riddle would stretch the lead to 4-0 over the next 11 minutes, and Erik Norburg scored his first goal of the year at the 28:02 mark off a feed from Petersson. Magnus Magnusson tallied his first goal of the season a few minutes later, becoming the fourth beneficiary of a Petersson cross.

Petersson would add his second goal of the night before Elisson scored his second to give the Eagles a 9-0 advantage heading into halftime.

The second half featured more of the same for the hosts as Elisson and Couturier both completed their hat tricks from the 63rd through 68th minutes of action. Jacob Stevenback found the back of the net for the first time in 2013 in the 78th minute, while Jared Nordman put the finishing touches on the evening with the final goal in the 84th minute, his first of the season.

Petersson's final assist came off a nice play between himself, freshman Stephan Gnadl and Nordman. Petersson crossed the ball to the far post to Gnadl who was able to one-touch the ball to Nordman who beat the Gyrene keeper.

Carlson, who was rarely called upon in goal, got his fifth shutout of the season, lowering his goals-against-average to 1.00 in the process.

In addition to breaking the NAIA assists record, Petersson tallied 16 points, setting an Embry-Riddle record, a number good for fourth in NAIA history.

As a team, the Eagles tallied 19 assists, the second-most in NAIA history, and broke the program record for goals in a game (18) and points (55).

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
5,722 - 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.
112 - Veit Couturier's career point total. He trails all-time leader Jasmin Kadric by 24 points.
22 - Points contributed by Eagle newcomers in 2014
5 - Wins against the Fire all-time for the Eagles, compared to 0 losses
1.1 - 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.