By By Austin Bishop/The Meridian Star
Nov. 8, 2001
When the Meridian Community College soccer team bus rolls into Houston, Texas today, the Eagles won't be worrying too much about sight-seeing.
They are focused on one thing.
In the early years of the program MCC played its first match in the fall of 1994 making the NJCAA National Men's Soccer Tournament was a dream. Now it is expected.
Meridian, which won the NJCAA Division I National Championship last season by winning three straight games in Tyler, Texas, are looking to repeat that defeat.
But first MCC must take care of business this weekend at the always tough Mid-Southwest District Tournament.
San Jacinto, one of the four teams in the single-elimination event, is hosting the tournament this year.
Play begins on Friday at noon when MCC, ranked No. 4 in the country by the NJCAA, faces No. 11-ranked Northern Oklahoma (15-2).
Richland (Texas) College out of Dallas takes on host San Jac at Noon.
The two winners will play for the Mid-Southwest title at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The champion advances to the eight-team NJCAA National Tournament in Tyler Nov. 15-18.
Defensively the Eagles are sparked by sophomore sweeper Cecil Noyce. Fellow sophomore Garthfield Whyte keeps things going in the midfield, while Kevin King is the leading scorer with 19 goals this season.
Meridian has played both Richland and San Jac so far this season, but has yet to face Northeast Oklahoma.
Austin Bishop is Regional Sports Director of the East Mississippi Group and oversees The Meridian Star sports department. E-mail him at abishop@themeridianstar.com or phone him at 693-1551, ext. 3234.