JACKSON, Miss. – Weather pushed back kickoff 90 minutes and forced a relocation of the match. But not even that could slow fifth-seeded Nova Southeastern in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, as first-half goals by
Emma Heikkila and
Hannah Christophe powered the Sharks to an eventual 2-1 victory over No. 4 seed Montevallo on Friday. The win marked the program's first-ever in the NCAA Tournament, and now sends the Sharks to the Round of 32, where they'll meet host Mississippi College this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 2, Montevallo 1
Records: Nova Southeastern (15-3-2), Montevallo (14-4-4)
Location: Belhaven Bowl Stadium | Jackson, Miss.
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BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Prior to Friday, the Sharks had combined to score just one goal in their four previous NCAA Tournament matches under head coach John Constable.
- On the other side of the South Region bracket, Embry-Riddle advanced to the Round of 32 following a 2-0 win over Rollins.
- Friday's victory moves the Sharks to within one win of tying the program's all-time, single-season mark of 16 set back in 2000.
- Both Christophe and Heikkila now rank tied third all-time in program history with 31 career goals apiece.
- Friday marked just the second win for the Sharks this season in a match in which they'd allowed a goal.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- NSU needed just three shots on target to tally its two goals in the win. Overall, the Sharks were outshot by the Falcons by a margin of 12-7.
- Montevallo also held a slight edge in corner kicks, winning the battle 4-3.
- Starting keeper Shannon Hearty collected three saves in the first half en route to her 10th win of the season.
- Six different players recorded a shot for NSU in the victory, with Heikkila leading the way with two.
UP NEXT:
NSU will look to avenge last year's NCAA Tournament defeat when it squares off against Mississippi College this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The Choctaws knocked off the Sharks 3-0 in the opening round down in Miami Shores, Fla. in 2018. For complete coverage of the action, visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com, or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_WSoccer.