Embry-Riddle at SCAD Savannah Match Notes

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (5-5-4, 5-4-1) at SCAD Savannah (10-2-4, 9-0-1)
DATE: Friday, Nov. 14, 2014
CITY: Hardeeville, S.C.
SITE: SCAD Athletic Complex
START: 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 1-3-1
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 5-3-2

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
The Eagles look to keep their national tournament hopes alive by winning the Sun Conference Tournament this weekend.  In order to do that the Blue and Gold will have to win two consecutive games, starting with a conference semifinal matchup against top seeded SCAD Savannah.  If the Eagles win they will advance to the finals of the conference tournament against either Thomas of Florida Memorial.  If ERAU loses, its season will come to an end.
 
The Eagles scored two goals last week against Northwood after scoring only once in their previous three matches.  Senior Veit Couturier, who assisted on both of the team's goals against the Seahawks, has led ERAU all season with a conference leading 14 goals and 32 points
 
Freshmen Daniel Gylfason has also been a major contributor for the Eagles this year, racking up five goals and six assists, while Lewis Blackmore and Moriba Ballah have contributed eight points each.
 
Goalkeeper Nils Carlson has played every minute for the Eagles in 2014.  The senior has put up 4 shutouts while making 67 saves and boasting a .807 save percentage.  

ABOUT THE BEES
SCAD Savannah is the fourteenth ranked team in the nation and the No. 1 seed in the Sun Conference Tournament.  The Bees advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament by defeating No. 8 seed St. Thomas 4-3 in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 draw.  Overall, SCAD is 10-2-4 on the season and has not lost a contest since late August.

Junior Forward Jordan Trinci-Lyne leads SCAD with eight goals this season while Naim El-Harriti paces the squad with four assists.  The Bees have played excellent defense throughout their 2014 campaign, only allowing 10 total goals and 161 shots.  SCAD goalkeeper Fernando Zeledon has made 43 saves this season while putting up an impressive save percentage of .915.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Oct. 22, 2014 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle mens's soccer team suffered its first loss in nearly a month as the Eagles (5-3-3, 5-2-1) dropped a tough, 1-0 decision to visiting SCAD Savannah (9-2-2, 8-0-1) at the ERAU Soccer Stadium. Embry-Riddle was shutout for the first time since Nov. 9, 2012 (a 2-0 setback to Florida Memorial) and saw its chances of winning The Sun Conference regular season title slip away.

ERAU will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 25 when it hosts NAIA No. 5 Thomas (Ga.) at 7 p.m. in Daytona Beach.

The two teams struggled to get any offense going in the contest as just nine shots combined were on frame. The difference came just after half when Jordan Trinci-Lyne beat Nils Carlson on a penalty kick after the Eagle keeper was called for a foul in the box.

Niether team managed a shot until Veit Couturier's 16th minute effort was blocked, and the senior quickly rattled off two more shots that Fernando Zeledon saved to keep the game scoreless.

The Bees had just two shots in the opening period, neither of which were on target while Tobias Gerber nearly put the hosts up on a surprise effort from long range when his free kick was snatched out of the air by Zeledon in the 35th minute.

Trinci-Lyne's penalty kick goal at the 49:34 mark was the first shot on goal for the visitors and Carlson allowed a PK goal for the first time in 2014.

The visiting defense proved to be stout, rarely allowing an Embry-Riddle player to get off a quality shot, and Couturier's shot in the 64th minute was again saved by Zeledon, the last time ERAU managed a shot on frame.

Embry-Riddle outshot the Bees, 12-9, although SCAD held a slim, 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. SCAD was whistled for 28 fouls compared to 10 for ERAU and a combined six yellow cards were issued.

Carlson made four saves in the loss, as did Zeledon for the Bees. Couturier saw his point streak end at 10 matches.

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
6,370 - Career Minutes played by Nils Carlson, third-most all-time in program history.
238 - Wins in Head Coach Dave Gregson's 20-year tenure at Embry-Riddle.
127 - Veit Couturier's career point total. He trails all-time leader Jasmin Kadric by nine points.
16 - Points in the league table for ERAU
20 - Wins against the Bees all-time
1.0 - 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 238 victories at ERAU rank 14th on the NAIA's active winningest coaching list, while his .648 winning percentage ranks 10th amongst those coaches.