DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men's soccer team (4-6-2) hosted its final home game of the season on Saturday, honoring 10 seniors who have significantly contributed to the program. The Eagles faced off against Rollins College, who entered the match with a record of 4-5-1. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost 3-0.
Both teams displayed strong determination from the outset, vying for a victory and to make a bid for a spot in the conference tournament. The match began with a promising shot from freshman
Fabian Hilpert, who, despite his impressive season, saw his attempt sail wide.
Rollins quickly countered with a one-on-one opportunity for Jorge Lameiras, who faced off against goalkeeper
Ferriol Caballe i Vila. The Eagles' keeper came up big, denying Lameiras and keeping the game level.
The Eagles then generated back-to-back chances, starting with a powerful shot from
Tom Shepherd just outside the box. His effort was blocked, leading to a follow-up attempt by
Yali Shiray, but his shot failed to find the net.
It was the Tars who struck first, exploiting gaps in the Eagles' defense. A well-executed set piece saw Hayden Smethurst deliver a pinpoint cross to Lameiras, who finished decisively to give Rollins a 1-0 lead 34 minutes in. The Eagles struggled to find their rhythm from this moment on, with most of the play remaining in their half as they faced relentless pressure from the Tars. This pressure resulted in a second goal for Rollins by Yousef Shakweer 43 minutes in, putting the Eagles in a 2-0 deficit at halftime.
In the second half, the Eagles emerged with renewed energy and fresh legs, determined to turn the tide. Within the first five minutes,
Sandro Henning made a strong attempt to get the Eagles on the board, but the Rollins goalkeeper intervened, keeping them off the scoreboard. Unfortunately for ERAU, the Tars struck again at 37:08 with Lameiras netting his second goal of the game, extending their lead to 3-0.
The Eagles just couldn't find the back of the net with every opportunity being stopped by the Tars' defense and goalkeeper Jabari Gray. The Eagles finished with 14 shots seven of these being on goal.
The Eagles look to bounce back on the road on Wednesday where they take on Florida Southern College at 7 p.m.
The 2024 Embry-Riddle men's soccer season is presented by Radiology Associates.
