No. 6 MGCCC opens playoffs at home Friday

PERKINSTON — No. 6 Mississippi Gulf Coast traveled to Copiah-Lincoln for the third game of the MACCC season back in September. The Bulldogs left Wesson with a 2-2 tie.

They aren't spending time rehashing that ahead of Friday's NJCAA Gulf District Tournament quarterfinal because a lot has happened since then. 

"The idea of beating a team that pushed us to our limits early in the season is one that adds extra motivation," Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy said. "It's not something we really talk about, but it's definitely in the back of our minds."

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Buy your tickets ahead of time to save money. It costs $7 for adults or $5 for youth online, or $10 and $7 at the gate. Tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and the game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. 

Gulf Coast (11-2-4, 7-1-3 MACCC) finished second in the regular season. Co-Lin (8-4-2, 5-4-2) had to beat Southwest Mississippi on the final day of the season to clinch the seventh and final playoff spot.

The game will feature two of the top five scoring teams in the league. The Wolves average 2.57 goals, good for fourth, with the Bulldogs right behind at 2.53.

Gulf Coast's Victor Moerck (So., Vaerlose, Denmark/Lyngby Handelsgymnasium) is third in the conference with 14 goals, and he's got a four-game goal streak going. His seven assists are fifth-best.

Francisco Miquel, Co-Lin's top goal scorer, is tied for eighth in the MACCC with eight goals. Alvaro De La Torre has six assists to tie for sixth.

The Bulldogs are the third-stingiest team in the league, giving up just 1.06 goals per game. Gulf Coast David Ruiz Ospina has the third-best goals-against average in the league, allowing 1.01 per game.

Co-Lin allows 1.54 goals per game, with No. 1 keeper Jaime Duran's GAA down at 1.09.

"We've changed some things since we played the first time, but the main thing is to play a little bit more cautious, not as wide open," Handy said. "We need to be more clicked on early in the game so we don't give up the early goal. We need to be sound defensively and make sure we have cover. If we do that, we should be OK." 

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