MGCCC ranked 20th in NJCAA soccer poll

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast's men's soccer team jumped into the NJCAA Division I Top 20 rankings for the first time this season. The Bulldogs come in at No. 20.

"It's a tribute to what we've done the last two years," Bulldogs coach Chris Handy said. "We've played a hard schedule. We've won."

Gulf Coast, the only Mississippi team to receive votes in the poll, is 6-1 overall blew through the first half of the MACJC South Division schedule a perfect 4-0. The Bulldogs outscored their division opponents 23-0.

Their only loss came in the opener at then-No. 1 Tyler. The two-time defending champs eked out a 2-1 win. Tyler is ranked fourth in the latest poll.

Gulf Coast closed out the 2016 season at No. 18 in the NJCAA poll.

"It's not just about these guys, obviously," Handy said. "It's also about the guys before who have taken the lumps to grow the program and allowing us to put the program on their backs."

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