WATCH REPLAY: Titans Beat Broward 4-2 To Win Region 8 Title, Postseason Berth

By  //  October 31, 2015

eastern florida mens soccer news

GAME REPLAY: What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference. Watch the replay of the entire game.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference.

Leading 3-0 just seconds into the second half at the Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne Campus, Eastern Florida let Broward College back into the game and endured nearly a half-hour of hold-your-breath soccer nursing a 3-2 lead.

But then Smoak, the powerful centerback and center midfielder unleashed a shot from 30 yards out that Broward Julian Toro couldn’t handle. That made it 4-2 with 8 minutes and 22 seconds to play and the Titans were on their way to their third straight Florida College System Activities Association Region 8 championship and the postseason berth that goes with it.

Eastern Florida closed the regular season at 12-1-2 and 4-1-1 in the FCSAA/Region 8. Broward dropped to 8-5-1 and 3-3.

The Titans also kept their home field unbeaten record intact moving to 19-0-2. They now move on to the district playoffs in North Carolina next weekend matching champions from North and South Carolina and Georgia. The district champion advances on to the NJCAA Men’s Division I National Championship to be held Nov. 16-21 at Patrick Henry College in Axton, Virginia.

Eastern Florida struck first on Friday but at a cost. Torro bowled over Titan striker Yannick Koffi in the penalty area forcing a penalty kick that that freshman Craig McCall converted for a 1-0 lead with 32:12 to play in the first half.

Koffi was helped off the field and did not return to the game.

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His replacement Dennis Hall made it 2-0 with 13:40 to go in the half on an assist from freshman Nick Medcraft.

Hall made it 3-0 with a pretty chip shot over Torro with just 26 seconds into the second half with an assist from classmate Yaya Cisse and it appeared the Titans were home free.

But Broward’s Santiago Schmid beat Eastern Florida goalkeeper Kekuta Jatta with 39:45 to play to make it 3-1 and Eastern Florida knocked in an own goal less than two minutes later and suddenly it was 3-2.

Things then went back and forth with Eastern Florida needing a win or tie to advance and Broward needing to win. Smoak, who barely missed on two earlier shots, then found the net and the Titans held off Broward until the final horn.

“It was an ugly game but we got the result,” said Eastern Florida head coach Oliver Twelvetrees. “We did what was necessary to win. Dennis coming off the bench was brilliant as usual. They showed the mental strength that was needed to get themselves to the championship round. They held on and deserve to celebrate.”

Smoak was one of eight Titan sophomores recognized on Sophomore Night the others being Koffi, Jatta, Nate Himes, Shahri Sepehri, Justin Walker, Wilfred Williams and Ian Carey.

What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference. (EFSC image)
What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference. (EFSC image)
What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference. (EFSC image)
What looked like a walkover turned into a gut wrencher for the Eastern Florida State College men’s soccer team on Friday until sophomore Micah Smoak made the difference. (EFSC image)