ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – And then there were eight…A Gaby Moreira finish in the 65^th minute broke a 1-1 tie before Nova Southeastern staved off late pressure by Embry-Riddle en route to clinching the program's first-ever NCAA South Region Championship on Friday in St. Augustine, Fla. With the win, the Sharks now advance to Sunday's Elite Eight, where they'll play the winner of Flagler/Wingate.  

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 2, Embry-Riddle 1
Records: Nova Southeastern (17-3-2), Embry-Riddle (12-6-2)
Location: Saints Field | St. Augustine, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In a matchup between familiar Sunshine State Conference foes, the fifth-seeded Sharks set the tone against the sixth-seeded Eagles in the 15^th minute when All-South Region performer Emma Heikkila drilled a free kick past Embry-Riddle keeper Dana Ruchti to give NSU the early 1-0 edge.
• The Eagles would respond in the 26^th minute, however. After no foul was called despite contact with NSU keeper Shannon Hearty, ERAU's Ragnheidur Gardarsdo tapped in an empty-net goal to knot the score at 1-1.
• Still even at 1-1 in the 65^th minute, Moreira put the Sharks ahead for good after cashing in on her fourth goal of the season. With possession on the right wing, Dejah Holman fired an initial shot on frame. Ruchti was unable to secure a clean save, though, as Moreira cleaned up the rebound in front of the net.
• Feeding off the offensive energy, the NSU defense locked down ERAU the rest of the way, limiting the Eagles to just a single corner kick before the final whistle sounded.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Heikkila's fourth goal of the NCAA Tournament also marks the 34^th of her career, moving her into a tie for second all-time in program history.
• NSU has now won each of its last four meetings with ERAU.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• ERAU outshot NSU 8-6, although the 4-3 margin in shots on goal favored the Sharks.
• Splitting time in net, both Hearty and Natalie Robayna tallied one save apiece in the effort.

UP NEXT:
NSU will look to continue the postseason magic this Sunday at 2 p.m. when it'll face either Flagler or Wingate. Sunday's winner will then move on to the Final Four, which will be played in Pittsburgh on Dec. 12. For complete coverage of Sunday's action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_WSoccer.