Tritons Defeat Flagler, 4-2, at Habitat for Humanity Invitational

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Eckerd College women's soccer team picked up its fourth win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Flagler College on Sunday afternoon at the Habitat for Humanity Invitational hosted by Embry-Riddle (Fla.).

The match was scoreless until the 52nd minute when Flagler broke through, beating Eckerd goalkeeper Casey Winn when the Saints caught her off her line. Five minutes later, however, Eckerd equalized the contest after Olivia Ross-Johnson outpaced the last defender and put the ball in the back of the net. Ross-Johnson found herself in scoring position again just a minute later and notched her third goal of the season. 

"She has stepped up big for us," EC head coach Danielle Fotopoulos said. "I'm impressed with the way we recovered after we went down a goal."

With an early kickoff during the heat of the day, Eckerd used its depth in the midfield to maintain the level of play. Fotopoulos said she looked towards her reserves when players' legs got heavy. 

With nine minutes to play, the Tritons earned a third goal with an own goal by Flagler. The Saints quickly bounced back to narrow Eckerd's lead to one with a goal from 40 yards out. 

Despite the lead, Eckerd continued to get forward offensively and added a bit of a cushion to its lead with the fourth goal of the match in the 87th minute. Kayla Gray gave the Tritons a comfortable two-goal lead after a through ball  by Ashley Kreinbring got behind the Flagler defense. Kreinbring finished the match with two assists. 

Winn continued to serve as the backbone for Eckerd's defense with eight saves in the win.

"We stayed very organized defensively and that allowed us to move forward as a group," Fotopoulos said. "We are creating a lot of chances and that prepares us well for conference."

The Tritons have scored eight goals in the last two contests, giving them momentum in the final third moving into conference play. Eckerd will hit the road again Wednesday, September 14, taking on Saint Leo University in their first conference matchup of the season.