Lady Eagles win Region 23 Championship

(RAYMOND, Miss) - Meridian Community College Lady Eagles soccer team found themselves in a familiar spot Friday night in Raymond, Miss.

After playing rival Mississippi Gulf Coast to a 1-1 tie in the Region 23 championship game, the Lady Eagles went into overtime in the region tournament just like they ended their season in 2007 with an OT loss against Hinds.

But 2008 is a new year.

Jantzen Oliver from Pascagoula, a freshman for MCC, scored the Lady Eagles two goals and propelled MCC into the NJCAA District tournament and secured the program's first ever Region 23 title.

The Region win comes just one year after MCC won their first ever MACJC State Championship on the same field.

Oliver scored her first goal in the second half at the 28:00 minute mark off an assist from fellow freshman Christina Murray.

Gulf Coast answered late in the game and tied it up at 1-1.

Regulation ended at that score and MCC once again, went into overtime with the season on the line.

Oliver would score the lone goal in the extra period of play to secure MCC's Region 23 title.

The Lady Eagles will advance to the District tournament to be played in Texas on Nov 7-8.

After the Region 23 championship victory, MCC head coach Alex George was named the NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year; this award comes one year after being named the MACJC Soccer Coach of the Year in 2007.