Moerck’s two goals beat Meridian

No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast gutted out a 2-1 win at Meridian on Tuesday night, another indicator of how much the MACCC men's soccer world is changing.

Victor Moerck's second goal of the night, a free kick with 8:32 to play, got the Bulldogs all three points.

"We're finding out very quickly how much the level in this league is picking up and how talented it is from game to game," Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy said. "We have to meet that challenge. To have a really tough game like that and get a result is big. It keeps us alive in the conference."

The Bulldogs (8-2-2, 4-1-1 MACCC) moved into third place ahead of Friday's titanic showdown against archrival Pearl River, which sits atop the standings. Meridian is now 5-5-3, 1-2-3.

Moerck picked up the game's first goal, pouncing on a ball in the 6-yard box in the ninth minute.

The Eagles tied it up in the 39^th minute when a player's shot hit a Gulf Coast defender's leg and looped over the keeper for the equalizer.

After Meridian hit the post on a breakaway with 10:30 left, the Bulldogs earned a free kick three minutes later. Moerck, a sophomore from Vaerlose, Denmark, and Ibrahim Konare (Fr., Le Havre, France/Institute of the Sacred Heart Mons) stood on either side of the ball. Konare had taken one earlier in the game, so Moerck took a stab.

He played the ball just off the edge of the wall, going for placement over power, and beat the sprawling keeper.

"We challenged him this week very directly to be a game-winner," Handy said. "To have him respond that way tells a lot about his character."

Gulf Coast plays PRCC at Bary Thrash Field in Perk on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.