By By Austin Bishop/The Meridian Star
TYLER, Texas The Meridian Community College soccer team is loaded with players from around the world, but on Thursday it was a guy from closer to home that made a big difference in the Eagles' 4-1 opening-round win in the first round of the NJCAA 2000 Division I Men's Soccer Tournament.
Former Meridian High school standout Ty Robinson came in midway of the first half and helped step up the Eagles' intensity.
Robinson, who has been playing soccer since he was 7, said getting on the practice field with the international players as a member of the MCC soccer team helped him and the other Mississippi players on the roster improve their games.
Swinging momentum: The Wolverine of Essex dominated the first 10 minutes of Thursday's game, and then after falling on the defensive, put on another big run about 15 minutes into the second half.
Clements said that when you get to the National Tournament, the games become ones full of momentum swings.
Trio honored: Two former players and a coach were inducted in the NJCAA Men's Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame at a special banquet on Wednesday night.
Those joining the hall were coach Ron Mann and players Zach Thornton and Joe Ulrich.
Mann started the program at Prince George's (Md.) Community College in 1967 and posted a career record of 111-37-2.
Thornton played for Essex (Md.) Community College in 1991 and 1992 and was an NJCAA All-American. He is currently a member of the USA National Team and plays for the Chicago Fire of the MLS.
Ulrich, who along with Thornton was named to the NJCAA All-Millennium team, played for Ulster Community College and went on to star for Duke University.
Disappointed Apaches: After a six-year stay in Trenton, N.J., the NJCAA Tournament will be in Tyler through the 2002 season.
The tournament is bid on for three-year segments.
Tyler had hoped to be in the tournament this year, but had a down season and didn't even win its region for the first time in several seasons.
Pat Hartley Field, is actually made of two soccer fields, which are used for alternate games. MCC played on Field 2 on Thursday and will play on Field 1 today.
The championship game will be played on Field 1 at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Other scores: In other action, College of DuPage defeated Georgia Perimeter 4-1 and No. 3 Bryant &Stratton defeated No. 2 Yavapai 4-3 in overtime.
Today's games will feature St. Louis-Meramec and Essex County in a 1 p.m. loser's bracket game while the other loser's bracket game is set for 3 p.m. between Yavapai and Georgia Perimeter.
Meridian faces Springfield College at 5 p.m. and DuPage plays Bryant &Stratton at 7 p.m.
Austin Bishop is a sports correspondent for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at bishops@mississippi.net.