Women’s Soccer gets back in the win column

After a three-game winless stretch, nothing could have felt better for Mississippi Gulf Coast than Tuesday's hard-working 2-1 win at Meridian.

The Bulldogs had suffered a tie and two last-minute losses since Sept. 24.

"The girls worked really hard this week after some adversity the last 10 or 12 days," Gulf Coast coach Ryan Joiner said. "I think just watching them put their performance in with each other is what's important. I'm excited for the game Friday, but it's nice to be back in the win column tonight."

The Bulldogs (6-2-1, 3-2-1 MACCC) entertain archrival Pearl River on Friday. Kickoff at Bary Thrash Field is set for 5 p.m. Gulf Coast moved into sixth place alone with the win, one point ahead of Meridian (7-4, 3-3).

Laylah Johnson (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport) scored both goals for the Bulldogs, giving her a team-high 13 on the season.

"Laylah's goals were a byproduct of what our team talked about doing yesterday after training," Joiner said. "Kadie Craft helped create the first goal off the press. The second goal, (Isabella Reynolds) chases a lost cause and gets the toe on the end of one. They were all team goals based on what we wanted to do, which was press."

The opener came in the 40^th minute off a rebound, and Johnson pounced.

Meridian knotted it up a minute later, and it would be 1-1 until 13 minutes into the second half. Reynolds' pass sprung the speedy Johnson for the winner.

Joiner praised his squad's defense, particularly against Lauren Smith. They held one of the most dangerous players in the conference without a shot. Josey Smith (Fr., Bay St. Louis/Hancock) and Amelia Kidd (Fr., Cleveland/Bayou Academy) helped mark her into a quiet afternoon. 

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