Box Score Prescott, Ariz. – Jacob Baker (SR/Graham, Wash.) scored a pair of goals as a part of a three-goal second half that carried Embry-Riddle past UC Merced in a battle of a pair of teams receiving votes in the NAIA men's soccer top-25 poll. Elias Ammon (FR/Bremen, Germany) made a pair of saves in goal to pick up the shutout for the Eagles.
Both defenses played well in the first half as the teams battled to an evenly played draw over the first 45 minutes. Each team was able to get off just one shot on goal in the half, with both being saved by the goalies. Embry-Riddle came close in the 14th minute when Djougher Oliveira (SR/Belo Horizonte, Brazil) hit the crossbar.
UC Merced had a couple of looks early in the second half, but both attempts missed high. In the 54th minute Embry-Riddle broke through on its second shot of the half when Baker finished off an assist from Chiedu Ikeme (SR/Inverness, Scotland). With the ERAU defense putting the clamps on the Bobcats, the Eagles were able to generate more opportunities on the offensive end. In the 79th minute the same pair that scored the first goal struck again, with Baker scoring a beautiful goal that gave ERAU some breathing room in the hard fought contest. Four minutes later Nick Woll (SO/Newhall, Calif.) put the Eagles in complete control with his tally. After that UC Merced could only generate one more shot on the ERAU goal, with that stopped by Ammon.
