Owen McCall
In Motion Staff Writer
The Lady Falcons soccer team is flying towards the playoffs as the regular season winds down. At press time, the Lady Falcons were first in the conference standings, ahead of Eastern Florida State and Broward.
Daytona State College played its last home game of the year on Oct. 13, 2-1 over Broward College during homecoming weekend, with goals being scored by Michelle O’Driscoll and Sydney Timmes.
That was its third straight 2-1 victory, the others being at home against Polk State and another on the road against ASA College. Timmes scored an unassisted penalty kick in the 15th minute after Broward struck first on a goal by Ronja Cronvall. O’Driscoll rebounded off the keeper in the 59th minute for an unassisted goal. The Lady Falcons also have not tied any opponents this season. They are looking to the postseason for a shot at winning a conference championship.
The leading scorer on the team is freshman forward Michelle O’Driscoll, who has scored on 68 percent of the shots she has taken on the goal this year. O’Driscoll will be a vital part of this Falcons team going into the postseason. Makenna Gottschalk has so far started every game at goalkeeper, which is great because the goalkeeper position is one that requires consistency in order to be successful. DSC averages three goals a game and averages 11 and a half shots on the goal per game. With no ties, and the conference lead, the Lady Falcons have a chance of receiving a higher seed in the playoff bracket.
The Lady Falcons have been on an offensive explosion throughout the season, which started in August, with the largest win for the team an 8-0 road win over South Georgia State College. The team’s worst loss was a 2-0 road trip against Broward College, showcasing the team’s defensive prowess. Two of the three losses came by one goal, with Broward being the only shutout they have had all season. They are also a team that doesn’t get penalized often, with only one red card the entire season. Penalties can slow a team down, especially a red card ejection, so this can help the team in the playoffs.
The postseason holds lots of optimism for the Lady Falcons, who are poised to win the conference and have a roster loaded with the talent, enough to possibly make the national tournament.
Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team will host the NJCAA Division One National Championship Nov. 12-17 at DSC”s soccer field. Tournament directors will be DSC President Tom LoBasso and Will Dunne, Director of DSC Athletics. Details were still being ironed out at press time, but for updated information, go to www.dscfalcons.com and click on the Championship in the upper right hand corner.