Eastern Florida’s women’s soccer team earned its fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I Women’s National Championship tournament berth on Saturday by defeating Pearl River Community College 4-1. (EFSC Image)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida’s women’s soccer team earned its fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I Women’s National Championship tournament berth on Saturday by defeating Pearl River Community College 4-1.
Playing in steady rain on the artificial surface football field at Picayune Memorial High in Picayune, Mississippi, Eastern Florida won its fourth straight District H title, ran its record to 14-0 and upheld its national No. 1 ranking.
The national tournament begins Nov. 16 at the Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne Campus and Eastern Florida is expected to be the No. 1 seed.
Jeff Carr
“I was very proud of the way the team responded in the second half with the condition of the field because of the rain and how narrow the field was,” said Eastern Florida head coach Jeff Carr.
“We overcame adversity and got the job done.”
Freshmen and leading scorer Paula Astiazaran and classmate and second-leading scorer Julia Hernandez scored two goals each and each recorded an assist.
Hernandez, a striker from Madrid, Spain opened the scoring 18:16 into the game from the right side of the net.
Pearl River evened things at 1-1 with 28:36 off the clock. Astiazaran, a freshman midfielder from San Sebastian, Spain struck back for a 2-1 lead at the 31:26 mark on an assist from Hernandez.
The Titans led 2-1 at halftime.
Asitiazaran made it 3-1 on an assist from school-assist record holder sophomore Briana Camargo at the 74:57 mark and Hernandez wrapped things up at 4-1 on a deflection off an Astiazaran free kick.
Eastern Florida outshot Pearl River 23-9, 14-4 in the second half, denying its foes any shots on goal in the final 45 minutes.
Astiazaran now has 25 goals, continuing to add to her school record while Briana Camargo has 22 assists, continuing to add to her record. Asitazaran has 19 assists.
Hernandez has 22 goals and 12 assists.
Goalkeeper Steff Barreras played the entire 90 minutes for Eastern Florida.
