Darton looks to bounce back

ALBANY — High rankings come with high expectations.

So when the Darton College men’s soccer team went up to North Carolina last weekend with a perfect 5-0 record and No. 6 ranking in the latest NJCAA poll, few thought they’d lose two games in as many days, especially to unranked teams.

But that’s exactly what happened, as the Cavaliers (5-2) lost to Louisburg College, 2-1, Friday, then to the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex the next day, 1-0.

“I, along with all the boys, was embarrassed about going all the way up there — 10 hours — and losing twice,” head coach Bart Sasnett said. “It stung.”

It was especially tough because Darton had given up only two goals all season before Friday.

“The first day, we didn’t look as sharp as we normally do, and that was probably because of the trip,” Sasnett said. “But the second day, when we should have been tired, we weren’t.”

Sasnett said he was impressed with his team’s play Saturday, but it didn’t show in the final score because CCBC-Essex played a defensive game after scoring 2:35 into the match.

“I think that’s the best we played all year, actually,” Sasnett said. “We were just clicking, except (on offense, because) we couldn’t find the path to score the goal. There were so many players back. I looked up one time and they had seven defenders … It looked like that all the time, so what do you do?”

The high-scoring Cavaliers still managed to out-shoot CCBC-Essex, 21-4, but couldn’t get lucky in the end.

“Our finishing wasn’t (like it usually is),” Sasnett said. “We were averaging five goals a game and we scored one in two games. … We just couldn’t find the back of the net.”

Even Mynor Perez, the No. 12 scorer in the country, was scoreless.

“Mynor was just off a little bit,” Sasnett said. “Everybody deserves a bad game, and I think he had his two, so we expect a lot more out of him.”

Everyone on the team has high expectations, according to sweeper and team captain Matias Aristegui.

“We’re happy, but we’re far from No. 1. That’s where we want to be at the end of the season, after nationals,” said Aristegui, who was a member of last year’s All-Region team. “We got off to a good start at the beginning (of the season), but we had some tough losses this weekend. It’s not what we looked for, (because they were) games we should have won. … We’re just looking forward to the rest of the season. It’s only the beginning.”

The Cavaliers can get back on track today at 7 p.m. game against Georgia Military College at home, then against Andrew College Wednesday and Georgia Perimeter College Saturday.

“The only thing we talked about the whole way back from North Carolina is redemption,” Sasnett said. “We have three region games this week and we have to redeem ourselves.”

DARTON WOMEN FEELING GOOD: The No. 11 Darton women had an opposite weekend from the men, as they defeated No. 6 Polk State College, 3-0, Friday, but head coach Ken Veilands said he still sees room for improvement.

“We didn’t actually play our best soccer, but we certainly controlled the game and were the better team,” Veilands said. “(It also makes us feel good) because (Polk) went to Middle Georgia and beat them Sunday.”

Sashanna Campbell did all the scoring Friday for the Lady Cavaliers (4-1), who play Georgia Military today, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Wednesday and Georgia Perimeter on Friday.

Veilands said he thinks Georgia Perimeter is the best team they’ll play this season and they have to use the first two games to make adjustments and be ready.

“We have to prepare for each game,” Veilands said. “Each game is a preparation for the next one.”