New Sports Prepare for Launch

Eastern Florida State College’s two new intercollegiate varsity sports – men’s soccer and women’s tennis - debut in the coming weeks.

“This is an exciting time to be at Eastern Florida,” said Athletic Director and head women’s soccer coach Jeff Carr. “Academically and athletically, we are on the move from the addition of the bachelor degree programs to the addition of the two new sports.

“Our president, Dr. Jim Richey, and our trustees have charted an ambitious course for the college and we are pleased to be part of it.”

Men’s soccer, under head coach Oliver Twelvetrees, plays its first regular-season games against Mississippi Gulf Coast and San Jacinto College (TX) on Aug. 23 and 24 respectively in Perkinston, MS.

The men debut at home on the new Melbourne Campus field on Saturday, Sept. 14 against Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference and NJCAA Region 8 foe Broward College. Match time is to be determined depending on whether the new facility's lights will be operational.

Women’s tennis, under head coach Chuck Jacobs, begins its fall season Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the USTA/ITA Campus Showdown at Melbourne’s Florida Tech. Like golf, tennis plays a fall season in preparation for its championship season in the spring.

The two new sports bring the college’s total to nine, the most of any institution that competes in the FCSAA. The college’s other sports are baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s basketball.

Head coaches are Carr, Jeff Tam (baseball), Ed Yanes (softball), Herb Tokumoto (volleyball), Jamie Howell (golf), Jeremy Shulman (men’s basketball) and Jim Grimes (women’s basketball).

Women’s soccer also opens its regular season in Perkinston, MS, playing Mississippi Gulf Coast and Pearl River (MS) Community College on Aug. 23 and 24 respectively.

The women open their home season on the new field at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 against St. Louis Community College. Eastern Florida hosts the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Championship Tournament on campus for the next four years. This year’s dates are Nov. 17-23.

Volleyball begins its season on Aug. 23-24 at the Florida State College Jacksonville tournament and plays its first home match in the Melbourne Campus gym at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3 against Daytona State College.

Golf plays its first match on Sept. 9-10 at Wallace State, AL.

In the most recent academic year five of the college’s then-seven teams reached the postseason with women’s soccer finishing as the NJCAA Division I women’s national runner-up and golf finishing fifth in the NJCAA Division I national tournament.