Bulldogs ready for playoffs to kick off

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast and Pearl River are separated by about 30 miles, so the schools know a lot about each other in all respects. 

The women's soccer teams are certainly familiar with each other, and their third meeting of the season will be the biggest. It's a loser-goes-home match in the NJCAA Gulf District Tournament quarterfinals Monday night at Poplarville.

"The biggest thing is to go in with confidence," Gulf Coast coach Ryan Joiner said. "The first time we played them, we were really up to the game. The second time, they made some really good adjustments, and we probably didn't do enough pregame. We've got to make sure the buildup the last two nights, we've really focused on intensity and passion. We want to make sure we're ourselves a little bit more."

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed at https://prccmedia.com/gold/, and tickets are available at https://prccathletics.com/Tickets.

The Bulldogs (10-5-1, 6-4-1 MACCC) opened the season against the No. 13 Wildcats (11-5, 7-4), losing 3-2 at Perk. The second matchup was the first MACCC game, and Pearl River won 1-0 at Poplarville.

Joiner said they do a good job attacking the wings and play a lot of ball in the air. The Wildcat keeper and center backs are comfortable on the ball, which causes problems.

The homefield advantage is a thing, too.

"They're really good at home," Joiner said. "I think their only loss was against Northwest the last game of the conference seasons. They protect their place very well. In the end, they're going to be well-coached, and they have talented players. We have to be ready to play."

Gulf Coast reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2016. The Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the first time since the spring 2021 season.

Joiner isn't ready to put a bow on the season yet.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to get this team over the hurdle and into the playoffs," he said. "We're not done. We want to go over there and put our best foot forward. In the end, the result will show who we are at the end of the game."

NJCAA Women's Soccer Gulf South District Tournament

Quarterfinals

Hosted by higher-seeded teams

Saturday, Oct. 28

• No. 3 Holmes 9, No. 6 Itawamba 2
• No. 2 Northwest Mississippi 7, No. 7 Copiah-Lincoln 0

Monday, Oct. 30

• No. 5 Gulf Coast at No. 4 Pearl River, 7 p.m.

Semifinals

Friday, Nov. 3

Ellisville

• No. 1 Jones vs. Gulf Coast-Pearl River winner, Time TBD
• No. 2 Northwest Mississippi vs. No. 3 Holmes, Time TBD

Finals

Sunday, Nov. 5

Ellisville

• Semifinal winners, Time TBD

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.