Dalton State soccer: No.1 ranked Roadrunners knock off No. 3 Mobile in showdown

Published 11:30 pm Friday, October 11, 2024

Dalton Stadium in Dalton played host to a showdown between two of the top three NAIA men’s soccer teams in the country Friday night, and the Dalton State Roadrunners came out on top.

No. 1 ranked Dalton State blanked No. 3 Mobile 2-0 Friday night in the nationally-ranked and Southern States Athletic Conference bout.

The scoreless stalemate between the Roadrunners (10-0-1, 4-0-1 SSAC) and the Rams (10-3-1, 5-1-0 SSAC) lasted well into the second half before Dalton State’s Jack Stainrod put the Roadrunners up 1-0 in the 73rd minute off an assist from Giovanni Poilero.

With just 31 seconds left, Dalton State put in an insurance goal, as Coahulla Creek grad Jaime Mendiola made it 2-0 off a Jip van den Essen assist.

The Roadrunners prevailed after a defensive battle in which the two teams combined for just 12 total shots. Dalton State had nine of those, though, and had six shots on goal while holding the nation’s third-ranked team without a single look on frame.

The Dalton State women (5-1-3, 3-1-2 SSAC) also celebrated a Friday night win over Mobile (6-4-1, 4-2-0 SSAC), beating the Rams 1-0.

Like in the men’s game, the first half ended without a score, and Dalton State took the lead in the second.

Emma Johnson scored the lone goal of the game at the 51:17 mark of the game off an assist from Riley Bennett.

Dalton State piled up 17 shots to Mobile’s four.