Mohave College Bighorns falls 3–1 to Daytona State in national semifinals

The Mohave College men’s soccer team concluded its historic postseason run Thursday afternoon, falling 3–1 to Daytona State College in the NJCAA National Championship semifinals at Daytona State College Soccer Stadium.

Mohave opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Lazzar Ramos netted his 24th goal of the season, finishing a setup from Erik Nava to put the Bighorns ahead 1–0. Daytona State responded five minutes later with an equalizer from Josue Youta, sending both teams into halftime tied 1–1.

Daytona State controlled the second half, taking the lead in the 50th minute on an unassisted goal from Santiago Apolaro. Youta added his second of the match in the 68th minute, extending the Falcons’ advantage to 3–1 and closing out the scoring.

Mohave generated 15 shots in the match, including five on target. Ramos led the attack with three shots on goal, while Alan Salgado added five attempts. Goalkeeper Chase Radford recorded four saves in the full 90 minutes of play. Despite holding a 7–0 advantage in corner kicks, the Bighorns were unable to convert late opportunities as Daytona State’s defense held firm.

The Bighorns season closes with a record of 19-2-0, but the 2025 season stands as one of the strongest in the two-year history of the program. The Bighorns completed a perfect 12–0 record at Firebird Stadium and finished with the most wins in the country leading with 19 wins. 

Nationally, Mohave ranked among the top teams in several major categories including:

• Fourth most shutouts in the country (9)
• Second most goals in the country (79)
• Second best goals per game average in the country (3.76)

The sophomore class helped define the young program’s early success, compiling a remarkable 26-8-1 overall record across two years, including a dominant 16-2-1 home record.

Individually, the Bighorns featured some of the most productive players in the NJCAA. Ramos finished as the top scorer in the country with 24 goals and led the nation in total points with 55. Salgado ranked fourth nationally in goals with 16 and second in total points with 41, highlighting one of the most potent attacking duos in the country.

Head coach Camilo Valencia was also recognized for his leadership, earning both the Region 1 Coach of the Year and West District Coach of the Year honors.