| EMCC Lions prevail in soccer at East Central; Lady Lions stretch unbeaten string to five matches |
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 Aaron Jenkins (right) and Leonardo Reyes helped lead the Lions to a 3-2 road soccer victory over East Central Friday in Decatur. Bidding for their first victory of the regular season, the Lions trailed ECCC, 1-0, at the intermission. EMCC came out after the break to score three unanswered goals, with sophomore forward Aaron Jenkins contributing the first two scores on assists from Leonardo Reyes and Josh Shields. A former standout at Caledonia High School, Jenkins continues to play with a bruised sternum after being knocked out of last week’s home match against Jones County while playing keeper. East Mississippi’s eventual game-winning tally was netted by Starkville’s Josh Shields on an assist from Reyes. East Central managed a late goal to provide the final 3-2 margin. Entering the match with a season team total of only four goals scored in the previous nine matches combined, the 1-8-1 Lions nearly doubled their season scoring output with Friday’s three-goal effort against the Warriors. “I’m very proud of our guys for the victory. We had a team meeting this past week in an attempt to get past our collective mental block,” EMCC head coach Junior Noel said. “In the meeting, we stressed that we can be competitive by having a better understanding of our team and individual objectives. I hope we are now better prepared to approach matches differently by paying closer attention to details and breaking down the game into smaller parts.” Despite playing without two starters (Alex Shelton and Quashena Johnson), the Lady Lions managed to extend their unbeaten string to five consecutive matches with the 1-1 deadlock. With both goals coming in the first half, the two teams battled through a scoreless second period and a pair of 10-minute overtime sessions without finding the net. Freshman Cori Arceneaux of Diamondhead netted her first collegiate goal on a free kick in the opening half to account for EMCC’s lone goal. Battling to their second straight 1-1 double-overtime deadlock, the East Mississippi women, now 4-4-2 on the season, own a five-match unbeaten streak after beginning their current string with three consecutive 3-2 victories. The EMCC soccer teams will resume North Division play by traveling to Raymond to take on Hinds Community College on Friday, Oct. 3. Match times are set for 5 and 7 p.m. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 29 September 2008 ) |
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