MGCCC women face playoff nemesis Meridian

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast's Friday game against Meridian could have major playoff implications.

The Lady Bulldogs (3-1-1, 3-1 MACJC South Division) are a game up on the Lady Eagles (2-3, 2-2) with their 5 p.m. contest at the new MGCCC Soccer Complex marking the end of the first half of the division schedule.

"We always preach that Meridian is our biggest game in our division," Gulf Coast coach Jackie Rhodes said. "That's who we seem to battle every year for that playoff spot. The kids are excited."

The Lady Bulldogs have won their last two games by a combined score of 9-0. They played perhaps their best soccer in the first half of a 2-0 win at Southwest on Tuesday.

Jess Shepherd (5-6, Fr., Parrswood/Manchester, England) has four goals in the last two matches to lead the squad. Rhodes said her squad is getting healthier, with all 19 players near 100 percent for Friday.

The top three teams in the South qualify for the postseason. The second- and third-place teams play a quarterfinal matchup against the North Nos. 2 and 3. The winners advance to the state tournament, where the No. 1 seeds wait with a bye.

Gulf Coast narrowly missed the playoffs last year, finishing third but losing a tiebreaker. The team that moved on? Meridian.

"I don't think we could be any more pleased with the first round of division games," Rhodes said. "We were able to steal a win against Pearl River early, which set us up to have success in our division. We're hoping to get a win on Friday to really set us up with a good chance to make the playoffs. That's our team goal, to get that playoff spot."

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