PENSACOLA, Fla. – William Carey's season came to a gut-wrenching end as they fell in double OT to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (AZ.) 2-1 at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex.
With Carey's sluggish start, ERAU jumped on the game early and looked the most likely to score early on.
A little over three minutes in and Embry Riddle were denied by the woodwork. Jamie Brandon drove down the left-hand side before pulling the ball back to Jamie Black just outside the six-yard box. Black took a touch to set herself and fired between two Carey defenders. The ball bounced off the post and straight into the grateful arms of
Nerea Pallas Padilla in the Carey Net.
Following an excellent save from Padilla from distance, ERAU's next chance came from the resulting corner. Samantha Wright's corner to the back post found Natalia Sepulveda who headed back across goal and just wide of the post.
As the first half continued Embry-Riddle looked the most likely to score. The Eagles outshot the Lady Crusaders 8-1 in the opening 30 minutes. ERAU had a couple of corners that threatened Carey early on but were unable to capitalize.
However, despite the Eagles early domination, Carey managed to take the lead against the run of play.
Alessia Navarro timed her run well to latch on to a through ball from
Virginia Mesa inside the ERAU penalty area. Navarro managed to find a free
Lauren Entremont on the penalty mark who headed the ball past Aubrianne Dupre and into the bottom corner.
ERAU wasted no time in equalizing as just three minutes later they found themselves level. The Eagles had been troubling Carey with corners to the back post already in this game and it eventually paid dividends. Wright sent another teasing corner into the back-post area to find Brandon leaping highest through a sea of bodies to nod the ball home.
The Eagles continued their pressure after their equalizer and nearly found themselves ahead, were it not for an outstanding stop from Padilla. Kari Kasun found Wright all alone in the penalty area. Padilla came bursting off her line to close the angle on Wright. Wright took a touch around the keeper and looked to knock the ball home, but Padilla made a spectacular sprawling save at the feet of Wright to keep the game tied going into half time.
Carey grew into the game in the second half. The Lady Crusaders had more meaningful spells of possession and looked to sure up some cracks in the defense from the first half. Carey was able to limit the Eagles to shots from distance and set-pieces, but Embry-Riddle still posed a threat on corners as they continued to look for a weakness in that back-post area.
Neither side was able to break the other down in the second half. Coming from a mixture of a lack of quality on the ball, and both sides not wanting to risk making a mistake knowing that one goal could send either team home.
With the score tied at 1-1, the game headed to overtime.
Carey had a golden chance to wrap things up in overtime but couldn't take their chance.
Raquel Diaz released Navarro down the right-hand side and into the penalty area. Navarro sent her cross into the back post and straight to the ERAU defender. The defender miscued her clearance and let it fall straight to the feet of
Karen Vilau on the edge of the six-yard goal. Unfortunately for Vilau, she couldn't quite make contact on her effort, and a guilt-edged chance went begging.
Into double-overtime and ERAU's Jamie Brandon scored the winning goal worthy of winning any match. Brandon, 30 yards out on the left-hand side, cut inside and unleashed a shot that drove straight over the head of Padilla and in off the underside of the crossbar.
With the loss, Carey's season comes to an end in the Round of 16 at the NAIA National Tournament. The Lady Crusaders finish the season a staggering 20-2 and as Southern States Athletic Conference Regular Season & Tournament Champions.
