Falcons Capture Southeast District Championship in Double Overtime Thriller

The Daytona State Falcons men's soccer team claimed the Southeast District Championship in dramatic fashion Saturday, defeating USC-Lancaster 2-1 in double overtime to punch their ticket to the 2025 NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Championship.

The Lancers struck first, taking the lead just two minutes into the match. A dangerous ball served into the box found a Lancaster player who was able to find the back of the net for the early 1-0 advantage. From that moment on, however, it was all Daytona State.

The Falcons dominated possession and outshot their opponents 40-6. The USC-Lancaster goalkeeper stood tall, making eight crucial saves to keep his team in the match.

Daytona State's persistence finally paid off in the 70th minute. A well-designed set piece saw Josue Youta thread a perfect pass to Kayoum M'Bamba, who calmly finished his 1v1 opportunity to level the score at 1-1.

After a tense first overtime, the Falcons continued to press for the winner. With just 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, Baye N'Diaye connected with Joachim Kyei, who unleashed a stunning strike from 25 yards out to seal the championship for Daytona State.

With the victory, the Falcons record improves to 12-2-2 on the season and earn their place in the 2025 NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Championship, which will be hosted at Daytona State College.

The Falcons will learn their first-round opponent during the NJCAA Selection Show on Tuesday at 6 p.m.