Embry-Riddle vs. Rollins Match Notes

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
NAIA #9 Embry-Riddle (0-0-2) at NCAA II #3 Rollins (2-2-0)
DATE: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014
CITY: Winter, Fla.
SITE: Barker Family Stadium
START: 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Embry-Riddle Gameday Network
LIVE VIDEO: Tars Sports Network
LIVE AUDIO: Tars Sports Network
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 5 GAMES: 1-1-3
EMBRY-RIDDLE'S LAST 10 GAMES: 5-2-3
ROLLIN' LAST 5 GAMES: 2-3
ROLLINS' LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5

EAGLES LOOK FOR FIRST WIN OF 2014
The Eagles have played 40 extra minutes of soccer through their first two games of 2014, but still wait that first victory of the season. ERAU has battled NCAA II Flagler and Barry to 2-2 (2OT) draws with both games featuring goals in the final 10 seconds to send them to extra time.

Veit Couturier leads the Eagles with a pair of goals and an assist, including the game-tying score on Saturday against Barry with nine seconds left in regulation. Newcomers Daniel Gylfason and Moriba Ballah have each scored once while Gylfason and fellow freshman Lewis Blackmore have added assists.

Netminder Nils Carlson has saved 16 shots including a crucial penalty kick attempt in the first overtime on Saturday. Carlson's 246 career saves ranks fourth all-time in ERAU history, just 27 behind Rui Pereira for third on the all-time list.

ABOUT THE TARS
Rollins, coached by Dr. Keith Buckley, is 2-2 on the young season with a No. 3 ranking from the NSCAA. The Tars lost 2-1 to Flagler last week, a team the Eagles drew with.

Rob Crowley has been the Tars' go-to option on offense as he has scored three of the team's seven goals and has chipped in an assist. The Tars have outshot their opponents 66-43 and 30-16 on shots on frame.

Julian Grundler has made nine saves with one shutout in four starts in goal for Rollins.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Sept. 7, 2013 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer team opened its 2013 home slate on Saturday against NCAA II powerhouse and the preseason No. 9 Rollins Tars, dropping a 5-1 decision while playing the entire second half with 10 men. The Eagles (1-1-0) allowed five goals for the first time since Sept. 8 of last season as the Tars overpowered the undermanned hosts to the tune of a 24-5 shot advantage and 12-3 edge in shots on goal. The Tars (1-0-0) opened their 2013 season with an impressive offensive and defensive display, holding the Blue and Gold to few opportunities to find the back of the net.

Magnus Magnusson was denied a goal in the opening moments when Keneil Baker made a stop of the midfielder's shot, keeping the game at 0-0. Baker made the save of the night in the 14th minute of play when a corner kick wasn't cleared properly by the Tars' defense and Sigurbergur Elisson made a fantastic volley just outside the penalty area into the left-corner of the goal. The senior netminder needed all 6-3 of his frame to fully extend and push the ball out for another Eagle corner, again keeping the match level.

Rob Crowley got the scoring started for the visitors in the 25th minute, converting on a penalty kick against Nils Carlson to give Rollins a 1-0 advantage.

Both teams battled back and forth over the first 40 minutes of play, with neither team gaining an advantage in possession, but the home team had several chances to equalize.

A crucial call would go the Tars' way in the 39th minute when Eagle forward Veit Couturier was given a red card for a phantom foul on a Rollins' defender, putting the Eagles down to 10 men for the remainder of the contest.

The Tars took advantage of the man-advantage, getting a second goal just a minute later when Phillipp Schad put home his first goal of the season on a bad clearance by the Embry-Riddle defense.

The Eagles managed just one more shot before half when Nicklas Petersson's shot in the 41st minute went just right, and Rollins took a 2-0 lead into the break.

Carlson made a save two minutes into the second period on a Schad shot, but the Tars would find their third tally of the game in the 59th minute as Skyler Russell and Brett Durrance teamed up to push the Eagles three goals down.

Senior Viktor Gudnason answered quickly for the Blue and Gold in the 60th minute, working with Jacob Stevenback (who earned his first collegiate assist) down the right side of the pitch and eventually slotting home his first goal of the 2013 season to bring the hosts to within 3-1.

The Eagles' hope was short-lived however when Schad beat Carlson for the second time in the match just 67 seconds later and Rafa Faria accounted for the final score of the contest in the 83rd minute as Russell collected his second assist of the night.

Carlson (1-1-0) finished with six saves while Baker (1-0-0) ended the evening with a pair of stops.

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
5,145 - Career Minutes played by Nils Carlson, third-most all-time in program history.
233 - Wins in Head Coach Dave Gregson's 20-year tenure at Embry-Riddle.
100 - Veit Couturier's career point total. He trails all-time leader Jasmin Kadric by 36 points.
16 - Shots the Eagles have recorded in each of their first two matches of 2014.
9 - Seconds left in regulation when Couturier sent Saturday's game against Barry to OT with a last-second score.
3 - All-Time wins against Rollins for Embry-Riddle...all coming in Winter Park.

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 233 victories at ERAU rank 14th on the NAIA's active winningest coaching list, while his .649 winning percentage ranks 10th amongst those coaches.