COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Embry-Riddle women's soccer team's 2022 campaign came to an end on Friday in the NCAA II South Region final. The top-seeded Eagles scored a second-half equalizer but were unable to hold off No. 3 seed West Florida (18-3-1), falling to the Argonauts 2-1 at Columbus State's Walden Soccer Complex.

The loss was the first of the season for the 11th-ranked Eagles who ended Liam McIlhatton's first season as head coach with a 14-1-5 overall record and the program's second trip to the NCAA II tournament Sweet 16.

The Argonauts struck early as Manami Okada took advantage of a scramble in the box to put UWF up 1-0 in the fourth minute.

Following the goal, the Eagles settled into the game and started to create chances of their own. In the 29th minute Savanna Sheahan hit a shot toward the lower left corner, but Maciah Lipsey was able to come up with the save. Seven minutes later, the Eagles launched a counterattack following a UWF corner kick and got the ball to Moa Karlsson. Karlsson found herself in a one-v-one with Lipsey, but Lipsey came off her line to corral the ball and help her team maintain the one-goal advantage at the half.

Coming out of the break, the Eagles continued to pressure the Argonaut defense and in the 54th minute, that persistence paid off. Isabelle Navren's shot from just outside the was deflected over the end line, giving the Eagles their fifth corner kick of the day. Navren took the set piece and Thea Nyberg scrambled to head the ball into the goal and draw the Eagles level at 1-1.

The Eagles dominated West Florida in the second half as evidenced by their 13-3 advantage in shots and 7-0 advantage in corner kicks. Grace Foyer had shot that elicited another Lipsey save and Ria Vlachos' volley appeared to cross the goal line, but was ruled as another save for Lipsey.

Despite the Eagles' offensive advantages, it was the Argonauts who managed to get the game's next score as Mya Swinton's goal in the 62nd minute sealed the win UWF.

"Firstly, I want to congratulate Joe [Bartinlinski] and West Florida on a great season and I wish them all the best in the next round," McIlhatton said. "As for us, I couldn't ask any more of this group of players. They have been outstanding this season and have done everything we have asked of them. Today is a tough day for all of us because we felt we were the better team and played well enough to win the game. However, that's football and sometimes it doesn't go your way.

"I also want to thank our four seniors and Moa [Karlsson] for everything they have done during their time at Embry Riddle. On and off the field, they have been a credit to our program and their families. That's the sad thing about the college game; at the end of every season, you always lose great people. I have no doubt that this group will be successful in their lives after Embry Riddle. They will always be a part of our program. Finally, I would like to thank the staff for all their hard work and efforts this year. Maddie [Cunningham], Mike [Cole] and Katie [Proppe] have worked ever to hard this year and we could not be successful without them. Also, Spencer [Phillips], Kaleigh [Ford] and the rest of our support staff, thank you for everything this season."