ORMOND BEACH — Ramtin Amiri likes to give his players a sense of perspective: The last time Flagler Palm Coast's boys soccer team reached the FHSAA playoffs, the 24-year-old, third-year coach was a sophomore midfielder who chipped in seven goals.

The team, Amiri said, does not want him to jinx the special run it is currently on — 10 consecutive wins, dating back to Dec. 7 and including Saturday's 4-0 triumph over University in the quarterfinal round of the Five Star Conference tournament.

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"Winning is fun, and they enjoy winning. But they hate losing more," Amiri said. "And they take a lot of things personal. We were a couple of teams' senior nights last year, and we got beat on them.

"These guys have matured. We tried to set goals at the beginning of the season, like we haven't had a winning season in (a while). That was a big one."

FPC, which advanced beyond the first round of the Five Star for first time in three tries, has clinched a winning record entering the home stretch of the regular season. The Bulldogs are 14-3, outscoring opponents 62-11 with clean sheets in six straight matches.

Three-year starting forward Aron Binkley, who buried a hat trick of penalty kicks Saturday, attributes the turnaround to a group conversation held Nov. 14, a 45-minute open forum after back-to-back losses to Providence and Menendez.

"We were having a hard time being sound in the back," Binkley said. "And then getting forward, we were really cluttered. … We've gotten our outside backs high and wide to stretch the field and give our midfielders more time on the ball."

The Bulldogs changed formations from a 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2, sliding Jace Zecca and Matthew Mercedal out toward the touchline as wingbacks. On paper, having five defenders on the field sounds like a conservative move, but it's allowed extra players to get into the attacking areas.

Binkley and Jack Moberly have been the primary beneficiaries, combining for 35 goals. In addition to the tactical change, Moberly believes an attitude adjustment has paid dividends.

"It just feels like we've been way more intense, taking practices way more serious and not goofing off. We all want it," Moberly said. "In past years, some of us have been slacking and just wanted to have fun. This year, we want to win. That's the main goal: Just win."

Another objective for the Bulldogs is to obtain a top-two seed, an automatic entry into the semifinal round, in the District 2-7A tournament. According to the Florida High School Athletic Association's Jan. 9 boys soccer rankings, FPC trails Seminole by 0.332 points for the No. 2 spot and is ranked 41st overall in Class 7A.

The Bulldogs could strengthen their case with another tournament win Tuesday night, at the expense of another surging district rival. FPC will face Spruce Creek, which rolled past Taylor 3-0 in the morning's first boys soccer match.

FPC and Spruce Creek were not scheduled to face one another this season, but it's a game the Bulldogs' players want, Amiri said.

"I think my boys are still a little bit frustrated from last year," Amiri said. "I don't think the scorelines (5-2 and 8-1 losses) represent how good or bad we were last year.

"It's a rivalry game, so hopefully they are able to control their emotions. Creek are good, and we know that. We need to make sure we prepare the right way going into that game. Win or lose, as long as we leave everything on the field, I'll be happy. And I know they will be as well."

Five Star Conference quarterfinal scores

Boys: Spruce Creek 3, Taylor 0; New Smyrna Beach 4, Pine Ridge 0; Flagler Palm Coast 4, University 0; DeLand 2, Mainland 0

Girls: Seabreeze 6, Taylor 0; Spruce Creek 7, University 0; New Smyrna Beach 8, DeLand 0; Flagler Palm Coast 8, Mainland 0

Five Star Conference semifinal pairings

(Games on Tuesday at Ormond Beach Sports Complex)

Boys: DeLand vs. New Smyrna Beach; Flagler Palm Coast vs. Spruce Creek

Girls: Spruce Creek vs. Seabreeze; Flagler Palm Coast vs. New Smyrna Beach

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school soccer: Flagler Palm Coast wins 10th straight at Five Star