MELBOURNE, Fla. – Despite the rainy weather, the No. 1 ranked Florida Tech women's soccer team took to the Rick Stottler Field pitch on Wednesday afternoon as they hosted No. 8 ranked Catawba. Four goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half removed any doubt as the Crimson and Gray concluded their season-opening six-game homestand with a thoroughly dominant 5-1 victory.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 1 Florida Tech 5 | No. 8 Catawba 1
Records: No. 1 Florida Tech 5-0-1 (0-0-1 SSC) | No. 8 Catawba 5-2-0 (2-0-0 SAC)
Location: Rick Stottler Field | Melbourne, Fla.
GAME NOTES
• The Panthers got on the board with the game's first shot a little over five minutes in when an
Ellinor Blaasternes long ball over the top sprung
Eboni Bradshaw free as she beat her defender in a foot race and then cooly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to put Florida Tech on top.
• The Indians' first chance came in the 16
th minute with
Mette Brandes equal to the task to keep the score 1-0.
• With the steady downpour making the play tough for both teams, the next shot on goal in the game didn't come until the 33
rd minute when Bradshaw and Blaasternes were denied in quick succession.
• Brandes made the second of her three saves in the 37
th minute with a diving stop and keep Florida Tech in the lead headed into the intermission.
• Just shy of five minutes into the second half, Bradshaw found the back of the net again, this time with an
Anae Malbete feed putting Bradshaw in position to beat her defender.
• A little over 30 seconds later, freshman
Kamila Pena recorded the first goal of her collegiate career when she dribbled past multiple defenders and beat the keeper to her right to give Tech an insurmountable lead.
• In the 57
th minute, Iselin Brualoekken recovered a failed Catawba clearance at the edge of the area on the right side and then curled a beautiful shot off the far post and in for a memorable first collegiate goal of her own.
• Blaasternes got her first tally of the year in the 66
th minute when
Marina Amorim's pass from her own half gave Blaasternes room to sprint down the left side for the finish.
• Catawba would get on the board in the 85
th minute with a deflection after chaos from a corner kick.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• The win was the largest over a ranked opponent in program history.
• The Panthers lead the all-time series with Catawba, 2-0-0. This was the first ever meeting between the schools in Melbourne.
• The win was Head Coach
Katy Freels' 35
th in charge of Florida Tech, tying her with Ryan Moon (2021-2023) for the second most wins for a coach in program history.
• The five goals were the most by the Panthers in a game since netting five against Saint Leo on October 1, 2025.
• Florida Tech is 10-1-4 all-time against the South Atlantic Conference.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will hit the road for the first time in 2026 this weekend when they travel to Saint Leo for a Sunshine State Conference matchup on Saturday, September 19
th. Kickoff is set for 7 P.M.
