ABOVE VIDEO: The Eastern Florida State College women’s soccer team competes in the NJCAA and has qualified for the National Tournament every year since 2012.
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida’s women’s soccer team solved defense-minded Andrew College on Saturday evening to open its season with a 3-0 victory at the Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne Campus.
The game was called with just more than 19 minutes remaining due to severe lightning.
Andrew, which fell to 1-2, kept the Titans at bay for the first 33 minutes and 32 seconds until freshman Julia Hernandez was tripped up in the penalty area on a breakaway.
Eastern Florida was awarded a penalty kick, which Hernandez’s fellow Spaniard and classmate Paula Astiazaran converted for a 1-0 lead.
Astiazaran solved Andrew goalkeeper Raquel Hauss again at the 8 minute mark with a left-footed strike for a 2-0 lead.
Hernandez beat Hauss two minutes into the second half for the final margin.
Jeff Carr
“They packed it back against us, they were defending with almost the whole team,” said Eastern Florida head coach Jeff Carr.
“We just had to be patient to break them down, not force anything, not panic.”
“It would be tough for 90 minutes to defend like that against us. So we started figuring it out. We were a little more patient. We weren’t trying to take on two or three people. We were playing the ball, moving the ball, switching the ball, the angle of attack. Good things started happening,” said Carr.
As for Astiazaran and Hernandez: “That was exciting,” Carr said. “They’re both special players and great young ladies and they just add a lot to the team. With them and the rest of the nucleus it’s an exciting season ahead of us.”
Astiazaran took things in stride.
“I’m happy because we played as a team,” she said. “We did a good job and we have to keep that shape.”
As for the penalty kick: “I always go up and do it,” she said.
Eastern Florida, ranked No. 3 nationally, returns to action hosting Southwestern Illinois College at 4 p.m. Friday and Lewis & Clark College at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6.
Both games will be televised live on WEFS-TV and streamed on the Internet at www.efsctitans.com
Admission to Titan home matches is free.
Eastern Florida’s women’s soccer team solved defense-minded Andrew College on Saturday evening to open its season with a 3-0 victory at the Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne Campus. (EFSC Image)
