Eastern Florida State College defeated USC Sumter 3-1 in the East District Final on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 31, in South Carolina. The victory gave the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team its first East District title and sent the Titans to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament for a fourth consecutive season. The national tournament begins Nov. 15 in Wichita, Kansas.
Alvin Ssekamate scored at 1:31 of the first half to put Eastern Florida State College ahead. Brian Arias tied the match for USC Sumter at 28:05 before Matteo Candura restored the Titans’ lead at 43:16. Eastern Florida State College carried a 2-1 advantage into halftime, and Tau Lamsee extended the lead to 3-1 at 57:38 of the second half with a bicycle kick.
Eastern Florida State College finished with 18 shots, including 11 on goal, while USC Sumter recorded seven shots and three on goal. The Titans also held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks, and both teams were called offside zero times. Eastern Florida State College committed 14 fouls, compared with six for USC Sumter.
Will Blease made two saves for Eastern Florida State College, while Martin Pastrello stopped eight shots for USC Sumter. Alfredo Adrian Chan led the Titans with four shots. Eastern Florida State College had three goal scorers in the district final.
Bart Sasnett credits team effort
Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer coach Bart Sasnett credited the team’s work and character after the championship victory. “The group has put in a lot of hard work! They are a high character group that love this school and the program. They did it the hard way and stepped up to every challenge,” Sasnett said. “My assistant Adrian Moreno has been outstanding all year and deserves a lot of credit for our success.”
Eastern Florida State College won the East District title for the first time, while the Titans have won the district title four times. The result also continued the program’s run of appearances in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Eastern Florida State College President Dr. James Richey said the team will represent the college in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are extremely proud of the men’s soccer program for winning the East District Championships and making it to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament once again. The team has had an exemplary season and we know they will represent the college well against the nation’s best in Wichita, Kansas,” Richey said.
National tournament next
Eastern Florida State College will wait to learn its seed for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. The event begins Nov. 15 in Wichita, Kansas. The appearance will be the Titans’ fourth straight season in the national tournament.
FSB Take
The East District championship moves Eastern Florida State College into the NJCAA Division I National Tournament for a fourth consecutive season. The Titans now have a defined national-tournament destination in Wichita, while their seed remains to be determined. Their 18-shot performance and eight corner kicks also show the attacking pressure they carried into the championship result.
Source: Original report