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.
BREVARD COUNTY, 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.”
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.”
“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 Men Hang On to Tie Monroe 2-2
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team played its second overtime game in two outings on Sunday, tying 2014 NJCAA Division I national runner-up Monroe College of New York, 2-2.
The game was played at Essex County College of Maryland.
Eastern Florida is 1-0-1 on the young season as is Monroe.
Yannick Koffi scored his second goal of the season for the Titans, drawing them even at 1-1 in the 30th minute.
Monroe went ahead 2-1 in the 41st minute before J.J. Donnelly drew the Titans even in the 52nd minute on an assist from Craig McCall.
That ended the scoring as the two 10-minute overtime periods did not produce a goal.
Oliver Twelvetrees
“It was a tremendous show of character holding on with nine men,” said Eastern Florida head coach Oliver Twelvetrees.
“We dominated every phase of play up until the two red cards (ejections).,
“We had lots of chances to win the game but regardless of the missed chances I am very proud of the players’ efforts and excited about the games to come.”
The Titans played with nine men for the game’s final 12 minutes while Monroe played with 10 due to a red card of its own. The Titans outshot Monroe 23-9 over the 110 minutes.
Eastern Florida goalkeeper Nate Himes made two saves. Teammate Micah Smoak missed a penalty kick in the 96th minute.
Eastern Florida won its season opener on Saturday with a 3-2 overtime victory over Essex County on a Smoak penalty kick.
ABOVE VIDEO: The Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team competes in the NJCAA and FCSAA. The program is located at the Titan Soccer Complex on the college’s Melbourne Campus in Brevard County, Florida.
