MCC Women Fall In Title Game

Meridian Community College had been here before. But it didn’t make the result any easier. For the third straight season, the MCC women saw their dreams of an NJCAA Region 23 championship end with a 1-0 loss in the title game. It was Pearl River Community College that delivered the heartbreak Saturday at Lamar School.


“It’s tough,” MCC coach Mike Smith said. “It’s just a tough way to lose, but I’m very proud of the girls. They did more than I ever could have asked of them today.”

The Wildcats (12-2) and Eagles (12-5-1) engaged in a defensive struggle that remained scoreless at halftime. However, Kacy Mixon pushed a shot past MCC keeper Haley Hegwood in the 72nd minute to give Pearl River the lead. And after struggling most of the way to get its attack going, the Eagles responded after falling behind. However, several scoring chances in the final minutes came close but were unable to capitalize.

“I guess when they scored the goal we got a bit of urgency and we got a couple of really good chances,” Smith said. “It just wasn’t meant to be. But we’re going to hold our heads high.”

Pearl River hosts top-ranked Brevard (Fla.) College on Saturday for a trip to the national tournament in Melbourne, Fla.