DAYTON (OH) — The Charlotte 49ers arrived at Baujan Field Friday night with a #11 national ranking and unbeaten streak dating back to September 1st. On their resume’ was a decisive 3-1 win at #2 Wake Forest. All of that apparently didn’t impress the Dayton Flyers as UD side-swiped the 49ers 3-0 to remain in first place in the A10 at 10-4-1 (5-1). A timely goal early in the match and a pair sandwiched around halftime ended up being the difference. Charlotte falls to 9-2-4 (3-1-2).

Any time there’s an opportunity to claim a Top-25 scalp, getting off to a fast start is vitally important. Dayton did exactly that in the early minutes by cashing in on a picture-perfect set piece just seven minutes after kickoff. Ryan Handbury played a terrific set piece ball to the far post from 30 yards out, allowing Alex Torda to play it the other way with a perfect header that beat 49er goalkeeper David Martin from six yards out. Up 1-0 with players yet to work up a good sweat, fans were anxious to see if the Flyers could keep it going.

Over the next five minutes, both sides knocked the ball around without either team claiming a distinct advantage, but that soon changed as Charlotte began dominating in all phases. The run of dominance forced Dayton into a defensive bunker they couldn’t crawl out of. Time and again, the 49ers picked off balls near midfield and crossed dangerous balls into the box. When they weren’t crossing, they were getting forward with nice combination pieces in the midfield resulting from high quality one-touches. UD nearly overcame the onslaught, but the pressure paid off with a penalty kick halfway through the first half after an obvious takedown in the box.

Fortunately, Flyer goalkeeper Tyler Picard came up huge and stoned the PK. The biggest play of the match probably had as much to do with Dayton’s eventual victory as the next two scores, keeping Charlotte off the scoreboard and in utter frustration in spite of their good play. Had the Niners tied things up at 1-1, the complexion would have changed entirely.

The save also lifted UD’s spirits. Dayton picked up the intensity and closed the half with a nice flurry. Head Coach Dennis Currier’s team put Charlotte in a serious bind in the 43rd minute when another set piece made it 2-0. Sonny Renner served a ball from the same spot as the first goal, finding Isaac Kissi crashing the far post for the low shot into the net from five yards out. Not long after, it was halftime and the Niners on the bench trying to explain the deficit.

Halftime stats were even with shots at eight a piece. Both teams registered a pair of corner kicks. Charlotte demonstrated a better command of the field however and had far more possession and dangerous opportunities in the offensive third. While UD had a tougher time knocking the ball around, the Flyers were far more opportunistic with the quality chances they did have.

Charlotte needed a good 10 minutes of soccer after the restart, but were beaten to the punch by a third set piece by the Flyers in the 48th minute. Evan McCreary and Ryan Handbury teamed up on a set piece service from 60 yards out that sent the ball to the near post and then across the goal mouth to the weak side. Peter Chilamena’s timely run was rewarded with an easy finish at his near post to put the Flyers up 3-0 and firmly in command.

Down three scores, the Niners needed a serious dose of offense and good fortune. Given their run of possession in the first half, Charlotte certainly had the tools to climb back. Dayton raised its level of play over the final 40 minutes however to make that impossible. The Flyers stepped it up in the midfield and won their share of loose balls — especially headers off of clears and set pieces — to keep the Niners out of sorts. The hustle by everyone and from all parts of the field was consistently good. As the half wore on, the run of play effectively evened out, allowing UD to stick with their original gameplan rather than bunker and play not to lose.

The energy level never eased up and Dayton’s back line stood strong until the final whistle. Picard was terrific in goal and gobbled up high crosses in the box when he needed to, while Randy Dennis utilized his speed to turn away defenders or pick off balls and get forward. When it was all over, the Flyers protected first place in the A10 and proved they belong on the same field with the #11 ranked Niners.

Match stats slightly favored Charlotte with a 14-12 edge in shots and 7-3 advantage in corner kicks. Charlotte has a lot of talent and individual brilliance at times. Their ranking was justified and perhaps the Niners still possess the most talent to do damage in the NCAA tournament. The Flyers were (by far) the better side on Friday night however and helped themselves tremendously for a possible NCAA at-large bid — provided they win out and take the regular season crown.

Dayton takes on St. Louis for sole possession of first place on Sunday afternoon at 1pm. The Billikens are making their first appearance at Baujan Field since they joined the A10.