By By Austin Bishop/The Meridian Star
Oct. 30, 2001
A familiar foe stands between Meridian Community College and its eighth consecutive Region 23 men's soccer championship.
The Eagles will take on Hinds Community College, a 4-3 overtime winner over Mississippi Gulf Coast for the MACJC State Championship last weekend, for the region title at HCC on Saturday at 6 p.m.
MCC, ranked No. 6 in the nation in the latest NJCAA Division I poll, goes into the match with an overall record of 14-2-2 and a six-game winning streak.
If Meridian is going to have a shot at repeating as the NJCAA Division I National Champion, the Eagles must first knock off Hinds. The winner of that match advances to the Mid-Southwest District Tournament in Houston next week. The winner of that goes to the National Tournament in Tyler, Texas, Nov. 15-18.
Meridian traveled to Raymond earlier this season to take a 4-0 win over Hinds.
Clements said that he thought it was good that the Eagles were playing a team they had already played.
The veteran coach said he didn't think there was much chance that his squad would overlook Hinds, even though MCC has won the Region 23 title each year it has had a men's soccer program.