Falcon's Preseason Ends on a High Note
The Women's Soccer Program wrapped up their preseason schedule this past weekend after three weeks of training and three scrimmages. The Falcons began training on August 3rd and will play their first regular season game on September 3rd, versus Georgia Military Academy.
When asked about the first 10 days of preseason Head Coach Brittany Jones stated "I always use the first phase of preseason as an evaluation period. The ladies were put through a number of fitness tests and placed in training environments that allowed my staff and I to best determine their overall ability. As with the formation of any team, the first few days are crucial in establishing norms and expectations. We spent a great deal of time addressing our expectations in terms of how we want our team to play and who would fill what role within our system."
The Falcons faced their first competition of the season on August 13th when they played the Players Development Academy (PDA) out of Palm Coast. The game was a great experience as over 250 fans attended the game. "There have been a number of talented players to emerge from PDA, including two currently on our roster. I was excited to have the opportunity to share our program with PDA during our first scrimmage," remarked Coach Jones. The final score saw the Falcons collect a 2-1 win thanks to a last minute goal by Deshae Darrell, a Freshman out of Bermuda. "I was proud of the performance the girls put on tonight. It was very obvious that we still have a great deal of work to do before September, but they set good foundation to start from," said Coach Jones.
After another week of training and preparation, the Falcons made the trek over to Lakeland, Florida to face NAIA opponent Southeastern University. The game was a challenge for the Falcons as Southeastern dominated possession and were much more organized in their overall team shape. The Falcons quickly found themselves behind as they gave up two goals in the first half. Halftime saw a renewed energy and effort, but Southeastern quickly found a goal to make the score 3-0 with 30 minutes left in the game. After a tactical adjustment the Falcons were able to find some success in the final third, with a quick two goal succession from Megan Warner and Kaila Armstrong with 10 minutes remaining. Despite heavy pressure and multiple scoring opportunities to tie the game in the final minutes, the Falcons were unable to capitalize.
"Today was a challenge for our team. We struggled from the opening whistle and had to face adversity for 90 minutes. Anytime you go down a goal within 2 minutes of starting the game you have an obstacle to overcome. We struggled to match their intensity and organization and they took advantage of their opportunities. However, I am very proud of the character our team showed. They showed passion and resiliency and a will to never quit. The result was not what we wanted tonight but we learned a great deal about ourselves and our team" stated Coach Jones.
The Falcons concluded their preseason bout against Embry Riddle Aeronautical University this past Sunday. The Eagles, coming off of an 11-3-1 season last fall, were one of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division II preseason polls this year. The game was a back and forth affair with both teams battling for control of the game. The break came in the 54th minute of the game when Embry Riddle's, Guro Naess Berge, drew a penalty kick to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead. The Falcons pressed for the remainder of the half but were unable to draw level. "I am incredibly proud of the way the girls played today. They have improved tremendously over the last three weeks and this was the perfect game to end preseason with. I hope this game gave the girls some confidence going into our regular season opener against Georgia Military next week" stated Coach Jones.
The Falcons will travel to Georgia this week where they will play two games to open the regular season. Their first official home game will take place on September 17th against Andrew College. All of the home contests will be played at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's turf field.