Eastern Florida State College Soccer Roundup

By  //  September 5, 2014

Women's game starts at 7 p.m. tonight

Women Kick Off 2014 Soccer Season At Home Today

WOMEN’S SOCCER — Five weeks after its first practice Eastern Florida State College’s women’s soccer team plays its first real game, hosting Spring Hill College’s junior varsity at 7 p.m. tonight on the Melbourne Campus.

efsc-soccer-388
Stephanie Martin, Jamie Perriello, and Samantha Solis share their experience with the freshmen who make up the bulk of this year’s team. (Eastern Florida image)

Spring Hill is an NCAA Division II institution located in Mobile, Alabama.

Eastern Florida comes into Friday’s game ranked fifth nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and sixth nationally by the NJCAA.

The Titans, who finished 12-3-1 last season, are shooting for their third consecutive NJCAA national tournament appearance.

EFSC head coach Jeff Carr is fielding a young team comprised of 21 freshmen among the 24 players on the roster. The pre-season and five scrimmages have given him a good idea of what he has but until his players face the heat of regular-season competition he won’t know for sure.

He is building his team around sophomore captain and 2013 second-team All-American Jamie Perriello who will be joined in the midfield by identical freshman twins Abbie and Briana Camargo.

Freshman Helen Ramsey is expected to be a scoring threat at forward while the backline will be anchored by returning sophomore Samantha Solis.

Also expected to play key roles are freshmen goalkeeper Asmara Holmes and classmates Kaila Henson, Haley Cook, Serena Delgado, Mariah Lewis, Kiana Hamilton, Kassidee Davis and Arnela Cordic among others.

Jeff Carr
Jeff Carr

“Everyone is anxious to get started,” Carr said. “The scrimmages are good when it comes to assessing talent and positioning but there is nothing like being on our home field under the lights with the result mattering.

“We’ve practiced a lot. It’s time to play. I expect us to come out with speed and determination and to play good, hard-nosed Eastern Florida soccer.”

Men’s Soccer Faces Three Games on Road in Georgia

MEN’S SOCCER — While Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team is only two games into its 2014 season three games this weekend in Georgia are vital.

Oliver Twelvetrees
Oliver Twelvetrees

“It’s important that we bring the team together and we will do so on three consecutive days against teams all ranked in the top 15 last season.”

“The lads are excited to test themselves against some of the top teams in the nation.”

Eastern Florida, ranked fifth nationally by the NJCAA and sixth by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), begins the weekend with Friday’s 7 p.m. game with Monroe (New York) College in Albany.

While Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team is only two games into its 2014 season three games this weekend in Georgia are vital. (Eastern Florida image)
While Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team is only two games into its 2014 season three games this weekend in Georgia are vital. Sophomore Justin Gavin, above, will look to get the Titans on the right track early in the season. (Eastern Florida image)

The Titans play Georgia Military at 2 p.m. Saturday in Milledgeville and finish with Georgia Perimeter 3-0 and ranked fourth by the NSCAA and sixth by NJCAA, at 1 p.m. Sunday at Georgia Southern in Statesboro. The game is a rematch of the 2013 NJCAA Region 17 final which Eastern Florida won on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie in regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.

Eastern Florida opened the 2014 season by dropping a 2-1 decision to Northeast Texas Community College in Pensacola but rebounded the next day to defeat Hinds Community College of Mississippi 10-0.

Twelvetrees is counting on his offense to continue to be prolific while asking his defense to once again blanket the opposition, both hallmarks of the inaugural 2013 team that qualified for the national tournament and finished with a 14-1-3 record by winning several important games on the road.

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This season could prove to be much of the same as the Titans are scheduled to play nine of their 15 games on the road.

The Titans debut at home at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, hosting Jefferson College on the Melbourne Campus. Andrew College then comes calling for a noon, Sunday, Sept. 14 match