WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. –
Emma Heikkila broke a 2-2 tie late in the 86
th minute, as Nova Southeastern squeezed out a 3-2 victory on the road against Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday night. The game-winner marked the second goal of the night for Heikkila, while
Hannah Christophe added a goal and an assist in the effort.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 3, Palm Beach Atlantic 2
Records: Nova Southeastern (9-5-1, 4-2-1 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic (5-6-2, 1-5-1 SSC)
Location: Rinker Athletic Campus | West Palm Beach, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_WSoccer | Instagram - @nsu_wsoccer | Facebook - /nsusoccer
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Nova Southeastern threatened from the opening whistle, earning a corner kick just 1:36 into the match. Palm Beach Atlantic managed to withstand the pressure early on until Heikkila drilled a volley into the top left corner of the net for the match's first score.
- The Sharks ripped off six more shot attempts throughout the remainder of the first half, yet entered the break holding onto the slim 1-0 advantage.
- After Christophe nearly doubled the margin with a shot off the crossbar, the Sailfish countered with the equalizer in the 55th minute to knot the match at 1-1.
- Less than five minutes later, Palm Beach Atlantic grabbed its first lead of the night when Kylee Rullo linked up with Kianna Magner.
- The Sharks' deficit lasted for a mere 1:58, though, as Adanna Edwards connected with Christophe, who drilled a shot towards the far post for her third goal of the season.
- Christophe would be turned away by the crossbar once again in the 78th minute. However, the crossbar couldn't save the Sailfish in the end after a perfect through ball from Christophe to Heikkila sent the Sharks to their sixth victory in their last eight matches.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- The Sharks tallied 11 shots apiece in each half, earning a deciding 22-12 advantage in that category.
- Both Christophe and Heikkila combined for 14 of Nova Southeastern's 22 shot attempts.
- Freshman keeper Natalie Robayna collected two saves en route to her fourth win in net this season.
- Heikkila extended her point streak to three games, and has now recorded at least two points in six matches on the year.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- With the victory, Nova Southeastern improved to 26-7-1 all-time versus Palm Beach Atlantic.
- The Sharks have now moved into a tie for second in the Sunshine State Conference standings, trailing only Barry with 13 points overall.
- The final three opponents during the regular season for NSU have a combined record of 5-12-2 in SSC play.
UP NEXT:
Nova Southeastern will continue its brief road stint when it travels to face Saint Leo this Saturday at 7 p.m. For complete coverage of the action, visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_WSoccer.