Pioneers beaten 1-0 in double OT at Embry-Riddle

Pioneers beaten 1-0 in double OT at Embry-Riddle

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Eva Jonsdottir scored the winning goal with 5:29 left in double overtime to give Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University a 1-0 victory over Tusculum University in non-conference women's soccer action Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles (2-2-0) outshot the Pioneers (1-2-1) 16-4 in regulation, but Tusculum had the first four shot attempts of overtime. Jonsdottir's goal came off an assist from Rachel Owens and was the only shot taken by the Eagles in more than 15 minutes of extra time.

Tusculum keeper Hannah Graham did her part to keep Embry-Riddle scoreless, making four saves apiece in both the first and second halves and finishing with eight in the match. The Eagles also had a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks over the Pioneers.

Neither team put a shot on goal until the Eagles' Maria Schmiedhofer had a shot from the top of the box that Graham jumped to corral. Graham's best save of the half came with 5:53 left, as she knocked down a shot from an open Natalie Allen from 12 yards away.

The Eagles came out quickly in the second half, as a redirection from the box by the Eagles' Ragnheldur Gardarso was stopped by Graham. Gardarso tried again from the top of the 18 with 39 minutes left, but Graham was lined up to make the routine save.

After being outshot 8-0 in the first half and 12-0 through 59 minutes, the Pioneers took their first shot with 30:20 remaining, but Sonja Ballmert's attempt from distance was grabbed by the Eagles' Fanny Kristiansson.

Graham was again called upon to keep the game scoreless as she went to the ground to cover a blast from 20 yards from the Eagles' Saba Amiri with just under 20 minutes to play. Another attack from the Eagles with just over 14 minutes left led to a Graham save on a shot from Savanna Sheahan.

The last shot on goal for either team in regulation was an attempt from 40 yards by Ballmert with 13 minutes remaining that was gathered on a pair of hops by Kristiansson. The Pioneers had the last two shot attempts in the second half, with Kate Guildford sending one just over the crossbar with 8:30 to play and Kaitlyn Watson going high from distance with 7:52 left.

After neither team had much in the way of offensive chances in the first overtime, the Eagles had a chance off a free kick at the start of the second overtime that was eventually covered by Graham. Tusculum put a pair of long free kicks on the Embry-Riddle net, but the attempts were pulled in by Kristiansson, who finished with four saves in the match.

Owens then came up with a loose ball near the end line and fed Jonsdottir for the winning goal with 5:29 left in the match to give the Eagles the win in their first-ever meeting with the Pioneers.

Tusculum will return home to host Queens in their South Atlantic Conference opener on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Pioneer Field.