Falcons Open Inaugural Season 2-0
This past weekend the Falcons traveled to Cuthbert, GA for the start of their inaugural season. Over the weekend they faced two challenging opponents, Andrew College (NJCAA) and Thomas University's reserve squad (NAIA). Though it was a long trip to Georgia with a game on Saturday and Sunday, the Falcons came out on top with two victories.
Saturday, September 3rd, was a big day for the Falcons. It wasn't just any normal first season game; it was the first ever season game for Daytona State College Men's Soccer program which has been together for a little over a month now. That didn't seem to matter to the Falcons though. They played as if it was any other game and came together as a unit that looked like they have been playing together for quite some time.
The Falcons defeated the Andrew College Fighting Tigers 5-0 in Saturday's match, with 5 different Falcon players getting on the board. Goals came from Mohamed Hussein (assisted by Donovan Segree), Joe O'Sullivan (assisted by Donovan Segree), Rory O'Keefe (assisted by Ryan Sandidge), Jahnazae Swan (assisted by Mohamed Hussein), and Lehy Felix (assisted by Joe O'Sullivan). Both goalkeepers saw action in the match with sophomore goalkeeper Palemon Plancarte coming up with two saves and no shots being taken against sophomore goalkeeper Jesse Della Porta. The Falcons outshot the Fighting Tigers 11-2 with 8 of their shots being on target.
"I was very proud with how the guys played. They knew that this was a big game being the first season game in the history of Daytona State College, but they rose to the occasion and came out on top," says Bart Sasnett, who is the head coach of the Daytona State College Men's Soccer program. "We still have some things to work on, but this first game showed me a lot on where we are and where we can be," says Sasnett. This was a big win for Sasnett, not only being the first ever coach of the new Daytona State College soccer program but also because of the history behind the opponent. Andrew College is where Sasnett first started his college playing career and also his college coaching career.
With a quick turnaround from Saturdays match at 3:00 PM against Andrew College, Daytona State College returned back to the pitch on Sunday at 10:00 AM to face Thomas University's reserve squad. Even though the Falcons were facing the Night Hawks with tired legs, they still managed to put 2 goals in and leave the field with a 2-0 victory. Both goals came from sophomore forward Jonas Bukh and were assisted by defenders Rory O'Keefe and Brandon Berg. Once again both goalkeepers saw action in the match with Jesse Della Porta coming up with 6 saves and Palemon Plancarte coming up with 2. The Falcons outshot the Night Hawks 12-10 with 6 of their shots being on target.
"I knew that this game would be different from the game against Andrew College because our turnaround time was so quick. With only 17 hours of rest, I knew that the guy's legs would be tired and the pace of the game would be slower," says Sasnett. "Even though it was a risky move to play two games over the weekend with very little time in-between, I wanted to see how the guys would handle the pressure and intensity. It wasn't the smoothest of games, but the guys stepped up and played through the entire match and came out with a win," says Sasnett.
The Falcons will face Keiser University's Seahawks (NAIA) reserve squad on Thursday 9/8/16 in West Palm Beach, FL. Following that game, the Falcons will have their first season home match against Broward College on Sunday 9/11/16 at Embry-Riddle.