EMCC men’s soccer team earns first conference win since reinstatement with 6-0 blanking of Holmes
The East Mississippi Community College men’s soccer team earned the program’s first conference win since being reinstated three years ago by blanking Holmes Community College, 6-0, during Friday’s MACCC contest played on the Bulldogs’ Ridgeland campus.
RIDGELAND – The East Mississippi Community College men's soccer team earned the program's first conference win since being reinstated three years ago by blanking Holmes Community College, 6-0, during Friday's MACCC contest played on the Bulldogs' Ridgeland campus.
The shutout victory over Holmes marked EMCC's first soccer win against a conference opponent since the 2009 season when the MACCC – then known as the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) competed in North and South Divisions. East Mississippi's soccer program was reinstated prior to the 2023 season following a 13-year hiatus.
"My goal for every season is to be playing our best soccer at the end, and I believe that's exactly what we're doing," third-year EMCC head soccer coach Chris Rash said about his teams' late-season performances.
On the heels of hard-luck setbacks at East Central the week prior and earlier this past week against Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Lions again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening half of the Holmes contest as they did at ECCC on Oct. 14. This time, however, EMCC responded with an offensive barrage that entailed four goals being scored during a 13-minute stretch in the second half against the Bulldogs.
"We were in the same spot, up 2-0 at half, against East Central and couldn't close it out. That was just 10 days ago," Rash reflected following EMCC's win. "Today you could see a different focus and intensity in this group. Even with a 2-0 lead at half, they knew the job wasn't done."
In the opening half of the Holmes match, the Lions netted goals by Caden Pearsell in the 6th minute and Roberth Campos in the 30th minute. Campos, a Costa Rica native who was a Louisiana All-Star Game selection a year ago for Sulphur High School, also assisted on Pearsell's team-leading seventh goal of the season to begin his seven-point outing.
Following intermission, EMCC took control and closed out the contest midway through the second half. The four-goal flurry began with Campos completing his hat trick within a three-minute spurt that saw him get his second goal of the game in the 65th minute on a perfectly placed ball from Ronal Lopez. Three minutes later, Campos added his third goal of the game on a penalty kick to tie Pearsell for team honors with seven goals apiece on the season.
EMCC's Daniel Abreu then took over the team's scoring surge by netting a pair of goals within a four-minute span to give the Gijon, Spain native four goals on the season. The Harcum College transfer, who assisted on Campos' first goal of the contest in the opening half, dribbled through defenders to find the net at the 73rd minute. Four minutes later, Abreu took a feed from Michael Godshaw and collected his fourth goal of the year with 13 minutes remaining in the contest.
"We've known that Rob and Abreu are capable of great things. Today, the rest of the league found out," Rash noted about the EMCC tandem that combined for five goals between them while each also assisted on a goal against Holmes.
Freshman goalkeeper Bentchey Garcia, also from Spain, earned the clean sheet by making eight saves in EMCC's shutout win over Holmes.
In the women's contest against nationally second-ranked Holmes, the EMCC women played respectably in dropping a 4-0 decision to the Lady Bulldogs. Goalkeepers Marli Castillo and Ainsley Orr were credited with eight saves apiece for the Lions.
"I couldn't be more proud of how this group of young women handled the pressure today against the No. 2 team in the nation," Rash added. "Not only did they handle the pressure, but they were able to create a few chances of their own."
Coach Chris Rash's EMCC men's and women's teams will conclude the 2025 soccer season Tuesday (Oct. 28) by playing host to nationally ranked Jones College on the Scooba campus. A 5 p.m. women's game will precede the men's contest to begin around 7:30 p.m., following EMCC's seven women's sophomores and six men's sophomores being recognized between games during Sophomore Night festivities at Sullivan-Windham Field.
"These sophomores are my first recruits for this program here at East Mississippi, and they have shown great courage in their daily pursuit of putting EMCC Soccer on the map," Rash said of his 13 sophomore players.