5 Falcons Earn All-Region Awards; Jones Co-Coach of the Year; Gottschalk Goalkeeper of the Year
Daytona Beach, FL (dscfalcons.com): The 2019 women's soccer season came to an end in early November off of an exciting run entering into (and hosting) the Region 8 playoffs. Daytona State faced ASA Miami in the semi-finals, as the 2nd and 3rd seeds in the tournament virtually tying in all categories of conference wins, losses, head to head, head to head goals against, etc. The game itself was no different, as both sides finished in regulation still tied at 0-0. Makenna Gottshalk (Sophomore, Broomfield, CO) kept the Falcons at zeros, ending the game with 14 saves. Two minutes into the games' second overtime, Michelle O'Driscoll (Sophomore, Cork, Ireland) was able to dive to finish a ball served in by Tayla Duffy (Sophomore, Rushdon, England) to end the game and keep the Daytona State season alive and enter into the Region 8 Conference Final against Eastern Florida State College. During the final, Daytona was outshot by the Titans 15-5 (shots on goal). Eastern was first to get on the scoreboard at the 32:00 minute of the game; Daytona was able to answer with 12 minutes left in regulation when Samantha Saez (Redshirt Sophomore, Palm Coast, FL) dribble-penetrated from the outside-back position, and drilled a shot from 30 yards past the outstretched goalkeeper. Upon entering into overtime, Eastern Florida was able to get a through ball in past the Daytona State defense to end the game at 2-1.
Following the wrap up of the 2019 season, 5 Falcons received All-Region 8 team selections. Michelle O'Driscoll, Tayla Duffy, and Makenna Gottschalk all received Region 8 1st team selections. Midfielders Milla-Maria Kujala and Sydney Timmes received All-Region 8 2nd team selections. During the 2019 season, O'Driscoll started in all 12 games, where she 8 goals (3 game-winners) and assisted 3 goals for 19 points for the season. In O'Driscoll's career, she has scored 24 goals (6 game-winners) and 6 assists, a total of 54 points setting a new program record. Duffy saw 11 starts this season, scoring 7 goals (1 game-winner) and 3 assists, for a total of 17 points. In Duffy's career, she started in 26 of 27 games, scored 17 goals (5 game-winners), 9 assists for a total of 43 points. This places Duffy at 3rd highest in career points just behind Heather Nulty (52 pts) in the 2016 and 2017 fall seasons. Kujala (Freshman, Veikkola, Finland) who often played as Daytona State's deepest midfielder started in 11 games, where she scored 2 goals (1 game-winner) and assisted 2 goals for 6 points in her debut season. Timmes (Sophomore, Port St. Lucie, FL) started in 7 games scoring 3 goals (1 game-winner) and 4 assists for 10 points on the season; she is also now tied for 5th in assists in a season in the Falcon record book. During her career as a Falcon, Timmes started in 22 games, scored 7 goals (2 game-winners), assisted 7 for 21 points.
Along with being named to All-Region 8 1st Team, Gottschalk was named Region 8 Goalkeeper of the Year. This season, in just 8 games, she made 65 saves with an 83% save percentage. In 3 of her 8 games, she set new program records for saves in a game (14- ASA Miami semi-final, 13- EFSC Conference Final, 13- EFSC regular season match). She also now holds the record for saves in a season (65 saves) and career saves (110 saves), previously held by Kristian Shores (45, 79 respectively). In Daytona State's program history, Daytona State's goalkeepers have been named Region 8 Goalkeeper of the Year 3 of its 4 years (Shores 2016-17, Gottschalk 2019).
Region 8 Coach of the Year was named to both Head Coach Brittany Jones and Eastern Florida Head coach Jeff Carr. This is Jones' 3rd coach of the year award in the Falcons' 4 season history.
"I am happy to see members of our program recognized. Individual awards are always a great testament to the work rate and performance of our whole team. Without the commitment of the group to develop, those individual players would not be pushed to perform to their maximum capacity," said Jones.
The Falcons will see action again during their short spring season, beginning in February.