After having an unexpected day off Thursday due to bad weather, the Embry-Riddle women’s soccer team was back on the pitch Friday for the Elite Eight of the NAIA national tournament. The game had to be moved from Pensacola, Florida to Orange Beach, Alabama some 30 miles away. There, Riddle and Truett McConnell were locked in a zero-zero tie throughout regulation. Then, nearly eight minutes into overtime, Tessa Updegraff rolled the ball past the keeper and into the net to give the Lady Eagles the 1-0 victory.
That set up a Final Four match-up between Embry-Riddle and Keiser University. While the Lady Eagles established a 2-1 lead in the first half, the Lady Seahawks notched three unanswered goals in the second half before Riddle came through with another goal. The Lady Eagles, however, could not get the equalizer and lost 4-3, ending their season. Molly Newlin and Jamie Brandon each had a goal and an assist for Embry-Riddle.
***Photo by Griffin Garypie.