MCC notches pair of wins on pitch

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Sept. 25, 2003
Meridian Community College picked up a couple of wins on its home soccer pitch Wednesday night against Jones County Junior College.
The Lady Eagles (3-7) ended a three game slide with a 3-1 win over the Lady Bobcats, and the Eagles (7-0-2) remained unbeaten with a 5-2 victory over the Bobcats (5-4).
MCC forward Cheri R. Wilson led the Lady Eagles, recording a hat trick and assisting on another goal.
The sophomore entered the game without a goal, but after she notched her first score of the season with 3:44 left in the first half to tie the game at one, she just couldn't stop scoring.
Wilson scored her first goal, knocking in Tiffany Holman's crossing pass from the left side of the JCJC goal.
The Lady Eagles forward's second goal of the game came at the 30-minute mark of the second half.
Wilson blasted a shot from just inside the Lady Bobcats' goal box that JCJC goalie Brianna Taylor tipped off the top of her fingertips. The ball barely slipped in under the cross bar, giving MCC a 3-1 advantage.
Wilson capped her scoring outburst with 10:51 left in the contest knocking a cross off a corner kick from Holman into the net with her left thigh.
Wilson notched the assist on the Lady Eagles' go-ahead goal that came two minutes into the second half.
The MCC forward chipped a crossing pass from the right side of JCJC's box to Krisi Nash, who hit a head ball into the left side of the net for a 2-1 lead.
JCJC's Shauna Craig scored the first goal of the game at the 23-minute mark of the first half.
In the men's contest, the Eagles got an early wake up call, as the Bobcats recorded the first goal on a penalty kick seven minutes into the game.
MCC sweeper Dylan Sims was whistled for a foul inside the goal box giving Ivan Lopez a free shot at the goal, which he buried into the left corner.
Eagles midfielder Joseph Murphey tied the game at the 25-minute mark scoring with a shot from the top of the box that ricochet in of the left post.
MCC's Brandon Rodgers followed the game-tying goal with two of his own at the 24- and 20-minute marks.
Rodgers netted his first score powering a shot past JCJC goalie Andy Gough's left side, after Gough stopped his first shot.
The Eagles sophomore midfielder scored his second goal flicking the ball over a sliding Gough, after getting a pass from Bryan Bledsoe, for a 3-1 lead.
MCC midfielder Eddie Graham received a red card two minutes after Rodgers' second goal, forcing the Eagles to play shorthanded for the final 63 minutes of the game.
JCJC forward Brandon Easterwood reduced MCC's lead to 3-2 scoring with a head ball off a cross from John Drinkard 12 minutes into the second half.
Bledsoe retook a two-goal lead for the Eagles with 17 minutes left in the game scoring on a penalty kick, after Benton Dufour was fouled inside the Bobcats' box.
MCC's Will Sowell, who normally plays goalie for the Eagles, scored the final goal of the game with 15 minutes remaining in the game.
Sowell scored on a rebound from a shot by Bledsoe that trickled through Gough's hands to produce the final margin.
The Eagles continue their season against the East Central Community College Warriors at 11 a.m. Saturday on the road. Both the MCC men's and women's teams return to action against Copiah-Lincoln Community College at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday.