| EMCC men edge Copiah-Lincoln 2-1; Lady Lions settle for 5-5 tie |
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.jpg "Image") All-American candidate Nikeisha Noel has scored 10 goals with four assists for a total of 24 points through EMCC’s first three matches (photo by Robbie Robertson). In the men’s match, the Lions struck first when sophomore Leonardo Reyes rebounded a Jett Miller attempt into the net at the 41st minute. Strong defensive play by the visiting Wolves late in the first half and early in the second stanza kept the score at 1-0 until Co-Lin’s Ross Smith knotted the score at 1-1 during the 61st minute of play. EMCC’s offensive intensity picked back up midway through the closing period, though the Lions had difficulty finding the back of the net during a handful of scoring opportunities midway through the half. During the 67th minute, Reyes converted on a rebound of a corner kick by Justin Knight that caromed off the post. A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Keyes ran his season goal total to five after recording a hat trick in Friday’s 9-1 season-opening home win over East Central. The Lions continued to attack the net late in the half, though they couldn’t capitalize on more potential scoring opportunities down the stretch. However, their defense held Co-Lin scoreless during the final 29 minutes of play to win for the second time in as many days to open the 2009 campaign. EMCC managed to win but one match all of last season. In the women’s contest, the Lady Lions were riding the momentum gained from their 12-0 whitewash of East Central the day prior by bolting to a 2-0 lead midway through the opening half. Following Friday’s four-goal effort, sophomore Alex Shelton scored in the fourth minute on an assist by fellow sophomore Nikeisha Noel. Shelton, from West Point, then assisted on Renikka Ware’s tally during the 21st minute. However, the Lady Wolves came charging back with three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 advantage into halftime. Heather Phillips’ tally on a penalty kick at the 25th minute was followed by goals from Julie McKay and Teri Hodges. The EMCC women rallied back following intermission by scoring a trio of unanswered goals themselves to take a 5-3 lead. Ware, of Starkville, tallied back-to-back scores in a seven-minute span to record a hat trick, while Noel notched her ninth goal in two days on a feed from freshman Ebone’ Gaskin during the 72nd minute. A minute later, the visitors responded one more time when Marlee Hahn cut the deficit to one goal. Hahn then tied the contest with her second goal of the half coming with two minutes left to play in regulation. For a moment late in the contest, it appeared as if the Lady Lions would capture their second victory of the year in thrilling fashion when Noel found the net with five seconds remaining. However, EMCC was called for off-sides to nullify the potential game-winning tally. Coach Junior Noel’s East Mississippi soccer teams play at East Central in Decatur on Tuesday before opening a three-match home stand by playing host to Southwest Mississippi on Tuesday, Sept. 8. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 September 2009 ) |
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