MELBOURNE, Fla. – No. 24 Florida Tech scored twice in the second half to top the Embry-Riddle women's soccer team 2-0 in the Eagles' Sunshine State Conference opener on Saturday at Rick Stottler Field. The loss drops the Eagles to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in league play, while the Panthers improve to 4-1 and 1-0 in the SSC.
 
The first half featured a 9-3 shot advantage for the Panthers, three of which were on frame and were turned back by ERAU goalkeeper Oona Jokinen. The Eagles had back-to-back shots on goal in the 35th minute, but Jokinen's counterpart, Kaitlin Sinkler managed saves on both attempts to keep the Eagles off the board.  
 
Perhaps the best chance for either team in the opening frame came in the closing seconds of the half when a Panther attempt was cleared off the line leading to a scoreless tie at the intermission.
 
Less than eight minutes into the second period, the Panthers registered their fifth shot of the half. The ball went off the post but fell to Ximena Jauregui who scored off the rebound to give Florida Tech a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, the Panthers capitalized on a defensive lapse to double their lead to 2-0.
 
The Eagles were unable to get their offense going, managing just two shots in the final 45 minutes to give Florida Tech its first win against the Eagles since 2016.
 
The Eagles will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they travel to Boca Raton to face Lynn at 7 p.m.
 
The 2024 Embry-Riddle women's soccer season is presented by Radiology Associates.