Co-Lin men’s soccer falls in OT
WESSON – The Co-Lin men’s soccer team is a club that is hungry for a victory. After starting the season with a victory over East Central, the Wolves have hit a five game losing streak that put their record at 1-5 going into Tuesday night’s contest against Jones County Community College.
The Wolves dominated the first half of action with some of the best soccer the club has played this season. The Co-Lin midfield controlled the action and the Wolves had many opportunities to put shots on goal in the first 45 minutes of action. With just two minutes left in the first half they would finally get the breakthrough goal they had been looking for. Co-Lin sophomore Chance Holden, a Loyd Star product, knocked in a header to put his team up 1-0. Holden’s goal was set up by a great crossing pass and assist by freshman defender Briyan Paiz.
The 1-0 Co-Lin lead would hold until 30 minutes remained in the match. That’s when Jones’s Jacob Crawford would score the equalizer and knot the match up at 1-1.
The last 20 minutes of action was not the strongest period of play from Co-Lin, something that Wolves coach David Strother hopes to improve.
“We executed in the first half and played great, then in the last twenty minutes I thought we looked like we ran out of gas and started giving them way too many opportunities,” said Strother.
Co-Lin’s sophomore goalkeeper Wesley Varner was able to withstand a tidal wave of shots on goal in the final 20 minutes of action and the Wolves and Bobcats would go to overtime tied at 1-1.
The first ten minutes of overtime did not provide a goal so the team played a second ten minute overtime period that was sudden death.
Two minutes into that period the Bobcats would hit the game winner off of a well-placed corner kick that forward Cole Smith was able to slip by Varner in the 102 minute of action.
Jones moves to 3-1 and 1-1 in the MACJC South Division and Co-Lin falls to 1-6 and 0-2 in the South Division.
In the women’s contest Jones was victorious 5-0 behind a hat trick by Lindy Tabor. The Lady Bobcats also got goals from Kelsey Cochran and Anna Mills. The Lady Wolves got great play from sophomore goal keeper Daniela Orozco but were able to only put one shot on goal versus a tough Lady Bobcats defense. Jones has not conceded a goal this season. Jones moves to 5-0 and 2-0 in the MACJC south division and Co-Lin drops to 0-7 and 0-2 in the south.
The Wolves and Lady Wolves return to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 when they travel to Poplarville to take on the Pearl River Wildcats at 1 and 3 p.m.