Through a half in a second round game in the NAIA Men’s Soccer Tournament on Saturday, Dalton State College peppered in chances, but couldn’t coax one into the back of the net.
After halftime hit, the floodgates opened.
The Roadrunners scored four goals after half, including two in the first 10 minutes of the second frame, to sprint past California-Merced and right on to Wichita. Dalton State nabs a spot in the round of 16 of the NAIA tournament at the tournament’s final site in Wichita, Kansas.
The third overall seed in the tournament, Dalton State will play 13th-seeded William Penn on Nov. 27 in Wichita.
The Roadrunners had never advanced to the final site before last season, and this year’s team makes it twice in a row. Dalton State fell in the national quarterfinals a year ago.
After a mostly even first half on Saturday, the Roadrunners started to pile up chances late in the half against UC Merced, a school out of the California Pacific Conference that defeated West Virginia Tech on Thursday in Dalton to reach the second round. Dalton State had a bye to the second round as the Dalton Bracket host.
Josh Ramos was wide on a header and rocketed a shot that was saved by a diving Bobcat keeper, and the half ended without a score despite a 7-2 shooting margin for the Roadrunners.
Just 40 seconds into the second half, Dalton State got its best look when Rasmus Andersson delivered a cross for Ramos, who again was just a little wide of the net on a header.
But any Roadrunner frustration went away at the 41:51 mark.
Jimson St. Louis found an open Jack Stainrod, and the Roadrunner newcomer showed off the power that has him as the leading Roadrunner scorer this season.
A scorching shot to the top corner was too much for the keeper to handle, and Dalton State led 1-0.
Ramos made up for his misses by tapping in for an easy goal off a Juan Demichelis attack with 35 minutes left. Demichelis drew attention by charging right, then passing to the center for an open Ramos.
After Stainrod nearly added his second, Kazuma Ishizuka sent in the Roadrunners’ third, getting a set-up pass from Ramos and finding the net with 27:30 left.
The Bobcats got on the board with 20 minutes to play with a Roberto Ceja goal, but Dalton State put in the finisher with 16 minutes remaining. Demichelis passed to Andersson who found Jack Brown.
Brown collected with the keeper charging and chipped up and over to get the final goal.
Dalton State ended the game with a 17-7 shot advantage and an 8-2 edge in shots on goal.
Ramos was the offensive instigator for the Roadrunners, piling up six shots, with the two on frame. Stainrod had three total and two on goal.
William Penn, the round of 16 opponent for Dalton State, defeated Cumberlands 1-0 Saturday to advance to the tournament’s final site.
The round of 16 is held on Nov. 27. The quarterfinal round is set for Nov. 30, the semifinals on Dec. 2 and the national championship game on Dec. 4, all in Wichita.