MGCCC Lady Bulldogs win MACJC soccer title

MGCCC players celebrate after defeating Hinds 3-0 for the MACJC state soccer title.

Gulf Coast men fall short against Hinds in other title game

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College soccer fans were hoping for a sweep against Hinds in the MACJC State Soccer Championships.

What they got was a bittersweet afternoon as the Lady Bulldogs beat Hinds 3-0 to claim their first-ever state crown. Hinds won the men’s game 3-0 to repeat as state champs.

“It would’ve been special to get them both,” said Gulf Coast soccer coach Bary Thrash. “Our guys just came up a little short.”

The Gulf Coast men end their season with a 13-3 record. The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 at halftime and could never mount a comeback.

As for the Lady Bulldogs (14-1-1), the day couldn’t have turned out any better. In the first half, Kelli Ranson booted in the game’s first goal in the 35th minute to give Gulf Coast a lead they would never relinquish. Ranson, a freshman from Ocean Springs, made it 2-0 Lady Bulldogs in the second half after she spun around with the ball and whipped a shot past the Hinds keeper.

In the 55th minute, Gulf Coast iced it after Tina Anthony finished off Ashley Harvey’s corner kick with a header into the Hinds net.

“We knew that Hinds wouldn’t quit,” said Anthony. “Getting up three goals did give us a sigh of relief and a little bit of a cushion.”

As the final seconds ran down, the Lady Bulldog players ran onto the field and celebrated the college’s first women’s soccer title.

“It feels wonderful,” added Thrash. “We’ve taken second place at least five or six times, and we’ve lost those games every way you can imagine. We told the girls coming in that it was up to them. They had the state championship in their hands. All they had to do was close their hands.”

Next week the women’s team will play Meridian for the Region 23 Title. That game will take place in Raymond. But for now, the Lady Bulldogs will celebrate their historic achievement.

“It feels amazing,” said Anthony. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We’ve been waiting for this for two years. We put all of our heart and soul into it and it’s nice to come out on top this time.”