Box Score Glendale, Ariz.- The Firestorm protected homefield as they won their opening match and handed Embry-Riddle (AZ) their first loss of the season. In the 80th minute of play, defender Tiago Soares found forward Micah Rickard on a cross, giving ACU a 1-0 edge that held till the final whistle.
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Score:Â Â Arizona Christian 1, ERAU 0
Records:Â Â Arizona Christian 1-0-0 (0-0-0) | Embry-Riddle (AZ) 1-1-0 (0-0-0)
Location:Â ACU Football Field - Glendale, AZ
STAT TRACKER
Micah Rickard - 1 goal, 1 shot
Tiago Soares - 1 assist, 3 shots
Aiden Abbitt - 7 shots, 2 shots on goal
Nolan Finch - 2 shots
Carlos Gallardo - 2 saves
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
From the game's first moments, the Firestorm fit the mold of a committed and organized defense. A mix of veterans and a few newcomers saw ACU conforming to the identity that Coach Ted Krzywiecki brought into the match. The Eagles only managed to get off three shots in the entirety of the first half, with one of those shots on goal. Compared to ERAU, the Firestorm sent off nine shots and also had one on goal, that coming from forward Cristhian Flores.
Following a scoreless half, ACU and ERAU continued to battle defensively, neither conceding any real ground for offensive attack. Midfielder BJ Ruzmir poked a ball through a gap in two Eagle defenders in the closing seconds of the 63rd minute, the first shot on goal for either team. Seven minutes after being subbed into the game, ACU's Micah Rickard took full advantage of his playing time and struck a ball into the back of the net after a left cross from Tiago Soares.
The Firestorm ended up out shooting the Eagles 18-8 for the game. Midfielder Aiden Abbitt had one last crack at a second goal, before ACU watched the clock run out and announce their 1-0 victory.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH TED KRZYWIECKI
"Tonight was a hard fought game against a really good soccer team," Coach Krzywiecki said. "Embry-Riddle put us under a lot of pressure early and we had to withstand that and defend throughout the first half… I'm proud of our guys for sticking with it and a great goal from Micah in the final minutes. We have to keep building on this and prepare for another battle on Friday."
NEXT MATCH
The Firestorm will look to carry momentum into another home game on Friday, August 25th, where they host Park University-Gilbert and kick things off at 8:00 PM. Follow along with @ACUFirestorm on Instagram and Twitter for the latest information.
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Roll Storm!
