RIDGELAND – After a three-year absence, the MACCC women's soccer conference championship and NJCAA Region 23 trophies are headed back to Ellisville.
Delaney Cooley netted the game-winner on a 35-yard, left-footed blast in the 90th minute to lift No. 2 Jones over No. 3 Holmes, 2-1, in thrilling fashion. It was the first goal of the season for Cooley, a sophomore from South Jones.
"It was a good game between two of the top teams in the country, who both happen to be from Mississippi," said Jones head coach
Dolores Deasley. "We were able to hang in there and find a way to win it at the end."
It was the sixth MACCC/Region 23 crown for the Jones College women's program, all under the direction of Deasley. The Bobcats have won titles in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
The Bobcats (14-1) get the automatic bid to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament where they finished as national semifinalists back in June in Evans, Georgia.
The NJCAA Division II championship bracket, at-large selections and tournament seedings will be announced Tuesday via the NJCAA website and NJCAA Soccer Twitter.
This year's national tournament will be played Nov. 15-20 at the Stryker Complex in Wichita, Kansas.
It's Jones' 14th consecutive victory dating back to a season-opening loss to East Central. Holmes fell to 13-2-2 and will more than likely receive an at-large national tournament bid.
"We lost that first game of the season and it was an eye opener for us," Deasley said. "We've played well since then, but we don't want to stop here. We are going to the national tournament and try to win a championship. That's the goal for the season."
Scoreless the first 44 minutes,
Acacia Rodriguez (Clinton) hit
Kendyl Terrell (Hattiesburg) with 56 seconds left in the opening period to make it 1-0 Bobcats at the half. Rodriguez kicked the ball from the right corner and Terrell headed it into the net for her team-leading 16th goal of the season.
Bobcat goalkeeper
Makenna Yarrow (Northwest Rankin) played the full 90 minutes in goal and was credited with five saves.
Holmes tied the match in the 73rd minute on an Olivia Deslatte goal.
The Bobcats will now wait and see who they will play in the national tournament. The format will consist of four, three-team pods with the winners of each pod advancing to the semifinals.
