ELLISVILLE — No. 17 Mississippi Gulf Coast’s men’s soccer season came to an abrupt end Friday afternoon when No. 12 Pearl River scored 45 seconds into overtime for a 1-0 victory.

 

The Gulf Coast defense of its NJCAA Gulf South District title fell short in the semifinals, and the Bulldogs finish the season 9-6-2.

 

Gulf Coast had its share of chances in both halves.

 

“I felt like we had the better of the chances, but if you don’t put those away, it’s still a 0-0 game,” Bulldogs coach Chris Handy said. “The longer the game went 0-0, it’s always going to come down to one mistake or a bit of brilliance, and that’s basically what happened.”

 

The Bulldogs had one golden opportunity in the first half, as did Pearl River. They then had a series of set pieces in the final five minutes of regulation, but couldn’t get anything past the PRCC keeper.

 

The Wildcats (12-3-1) pounced on a Gulf Coast turnover just on their side of midfield and swept into the Bulldogs’ end. Christopher Dommer ended overtime by sweeping left and shooting back across and in off the far post.

 

Pearl River advances to Sunday’s finals where the Wildcats will play either Hinds or No. 2 Jones.

 

Gulf Coast will lose a bunch of sophomores who played on last year’s squad which won this tournament. The school played in its first NJCAA Tournament last year, but falls two wins short this time around.

 

“Anytime you’re done playing, they hurt,” Handy said. “I would say, reflecting back on it, that this group is very talented. Did we finish where we want to finish? No, but I’m very proud of them. It’s a very, very talented group that has a bright future as individuals. They’ve made us proud over the last two or three years, and for that, I’ll always be thankful.”

 

For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.