It was a national matchup between 2 of the top teams in NJCAA soccer. The match up didn’t disappoint as the game went into 2 overtime periods. The two-powerhouse programs played at a neutral site, the University of West Florida. Daytona (0-0-1) was out shot by LSUE (1-1-2) 12 to 9 and evened out on corners 6 to 6.

Daytona goalkeeper and captain Will Diaz (Sandford, FL) had 7 saves on the night including three 1v1 saves. Sasnett on Diaz “Willy was a beast for us tonight, he made some big saves and kept the back line anchored down”. Curtez Kellman (Guyana) scored the lone goal from a corner kick with just under a minute left in the match. Will Diaz was pushed forward from the goal and provided the assist from a header to waiting feet of Kellman. “Curtez has ice water in his veins, his composure is unmatched” said Sasnett. On the night, Daytona hit the post/crossbar 4 times, struggling to find the back of the net.

Head Coach Bart Sasnett on the match, “For our first match I’m pleased with our performance. I’m proud of the DAYTONA spirit in this team. Both teams had chances to put the match away. We will learn from our mistakes, get healthy and prepare this week for our next match. No doubt in my mind LSUE was a worthy opponent with great players and great coaching.”

The Falcons open at home Saturday, September 11th vs Georgia Military College @ 2:00pm.