Jonas Banouas scored 1:15 into the second half, and Embry-Riddle (FL) defeated No. 1-ranked Rollins 2-1 on Wednesday night at Cahall Sandspur Field and Barker Family Stadium in Winter Park, Florida.
The victory was Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s first ranked win at the NCAA Division II level since becoming a full member in 2017. It was also the program’s first victory against a No. 1-ranked team since the 2008 season and its first win at Rollins College since that season.
Embry-Riddle Scores in Both Halves
Embry-Riddle scored once in each half and took a 1-0 lead when Elliot Mills scored at 26:14. Mills added his second goal of the season and put two shots on goal. Gianmarco Bertolini and Samuel Magda also recorded first-half attempts for Embry-Riddle.
Marcos da Silva kept Rollins off the scoreboard early, saving two Finlay Prain shots before stopping a Pablo Herrero attempt at 33:06. Kilian Vallant saved a Mills shot as Rollins goalkeeper. The match then went into an hour-and-a-half lightning delay during halftime.
Banouas scored at 46:15 to put Embry-Riddle ahead 2-0 after the break. The goal was the first of Banouas’ career at Embry-Riddle and his second of the season. Ethan Rosenblum led Embry-Riddle with four shots, a career high.
Rollins Pressures Late
Rollins produced five shots during a stretch from 74:03 to 79:40 before Prain cut the deficit to 2-1 at 82:16. Sebastian Alvarez assisted the goal. Rollins received a red card at 84:45.
Da Silva made eight saves across 90 minutes, including late stops on Tolu Junaid at 88:04 and Cory Edwards at 89:13. Rollins held an 18-12 advantage in shots, but Embry-Riddle preserved the victory. The win improved Embry-Riddle to 3-0-1, its best start since the 2006 team opened 5-0, while Rollins fell to 2-1-1.
Up Next
Embry-Riddle will host Eckerd on Saturday, September 12, at 6 p.m. in its first Sunshine State Conference match of the season. The match will be played at Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Source: Original report