No. 16 Men’s Soccer stays on top of MACCC

PERKINSTON — Six more points.

That was Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy's mantra after his No. 16 Bulldogs beat Itawamba 1-0 in MACCC men's soccer action Tuesday at Bary Thrash Field.

The Bulldogs (10-2-2, 8-1 MACCC) won after suffering their first conference loss of the season Friday. David Ruiz Ospina (Fr., Manizales, Colombia/Gimnasio del Pacifico) registered his eighth shutout of the season.

"That's a positive," Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy said. "We've got quite a few this season, but we're basically in playoff mode right now. There's no room for error."

Gulf Coast maintained its two-point lead over Jones atop the MACCC standings. The Bulldogs won their final regular-season home game and have two road games left before the playoffs.

Mills Sheridan (Fr., Brandon/Northwest Rankin) headed a pass from Bryon Shepard (Fr., Gulfport/St. Patrick) in the 39^th minute for the game's only goal.

Ospina registered one save.

Gulf Coast will travel to Raymond on Friday to play Hinds, which is battling for playoff position. The final regular-season game will be next Tuesday at Southwest Mississippi.

"A game like this with so much importance, it's good for our guys to realize playoff games are gritty," Handy said. "It doesn't always bounce your way. I'm happy we got the win. We need six more points."

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