All-around performance boosts Lady Wildcats past East Central

POPLARVILLE -- It didn’t come easy but after a hard fought contest Tuesday night head coach Jack Byrd and the Pearl River Community College Lady Wildcats soccer team earned their first victory of the season, defeating East Central Community College by a score of 1-0.

The first 17 minutes of the contest were pretty even with a slight edge to the Lady Wildcats in terms of possession. Rena Gordon (Clarendon, Jamaica) made the difference in the 18th minute, securing her second goal of the season and boosting the Lady Wildcats (1-2) past ECCC (1-2).

Rena Gordon, shown in Pearl River Community College's opener against Itawamba, scored the Lady Wildcats' lone goal in a 1-0 victory over visiting East Central Community College.

Jack Byrd wasn’t thrilled about the Lady Wildcat’s start but was happy with the way his team took command as the game went on.

“I thought we weathered the storm and played better as the game went on,” he said. In just three games Rena Gordon has shown she is a dangerous offensive weapon for PRCC, continuing to put pressure on opposing offenses and finishing her chances.

“Rena changes the way backlines play," Byrd said. "Obviously Skylar Spears (Clarkdale) and Sarah Havens (Hurley; East Central) are dangerous players, but I think they are more dangerous because of Rena.

"She’s a powerful player.”

Another performance of note was goalkeeper Candyce Martin (Gautier). Martin made the most of her first career start, making four saves to preserve the shutout.

“I thought she made two mental errors, but at the end of the day, it's still a clean sheet,” Byrd said.

PRCC returns to the pitch on Friday with a rivalry match at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

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