Week Two: Falcons Gain Momentum
The second week of the 2016 season found the Falcons on the road once again. This time their travels took them to Barnesville, GA where they faced Gordon State College. The Falcons entered the game coming off of a 2 game win streak after defeating both Georgia Military College and Andrew over the opening weekend. Gordon State started the season with 3 consecutive victories before falling to Darton State College just prior to facing the Falcons.
The game was played in exceptionally hot and humid conditions which tested the conditioning of both teams from the start. The Falcons started the game sharply and found the back of the net within the first 43 seconds on a long distance shot from Kaila Armstrong that struck the bottom of the crossbar before crossing the goal line. The first goal provided a spark of motivation and within the next 2 minutes the Falcons saw their lead extended by 2 goals as Megan Warner and Cheyenne Beck both added to their season totals.
Gordon state rallied and pushed the Falcons back for the rest of the first half. They were able to hold the visitors to only one more goal before half time. Once again Kaila Armstrong was able to pick up a ball in the midfield and finish a ball from 30 yards away. The Falcons would go on to score 2 more goals the second half one by Olivia Thomas off a corner and the other by Megan Warner to cap off an excellent victory on the road.
The 2nd road trip of the week took the Falcons to Lake Wales to face Webber International. The NAIA school hosted Daytona State in their first home game of the season. After a lengthy delay to the start of the game the Falcons quickly took control of the contest in the first half. At the 13th minute Caterina Yibirin served an early cross into Heather Nulty at the top of the box. The service was slightly over hit and Heather was forced to head the ball back to her supporting midfielders. Shanade Hopcroft approached the layoff and hit a half volley into the upper right side of the goal to give the Falcons an early lead.
The contest was a very physical one on both sides but an excellent test for the Falcons as this was the first regular season game where they entered half time with only a 1 goal lead. The Falcons dominated the first half in terms of possession and attacking opportunities but were only able to capitalize on Hopcroft's half volley.
The second half started with the same intensity of the first. Webber conceded a foul 40 yards from goal allowing the Falcons to set up a free kick. The service from Kaila Armstrong was perfectly placed into the run of Naomi Gurrola behind the defensive line of Webber. The goalkeeper made an excellent save on a shot from Gurrola but the rebound fell directly to Heather Nulty who easily slotted the ball home for the team's second and final goal of the night.
The Falcons finished the game with 19 total shots with 13 on frame. They improved their record to 4 – 0 on the season while also recording their 3 shutout. The Falcons will be back in action for their home opener on September 17th, where they will take on Andrew College at 4pm. All home games for the inaugural season will take place at Embry Aeronautical University's turf field.