CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's soccer team will host two home matches this weekend, with #15 Ouachita Baptist University coming to town for a Friday, Sept. 8 match and Harding University coming to campus for a match on Sunday, Sept. 10.
 
MC NOTES

• The Choctaws head into this weekend's action with an overall record of 1-0-1 on the year. The Choctaws knocked Nova Southeastern 2-1 in their season opener on Thursday, Aug. 31, and played to a 1-1 draw against Barry College on Saturday, Sept. 2.
• In the most recent United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II South Regional Rankings released on Tuesday (Sept. 5), the Choctaws found themselves ranked seventh.
• Friday's match will serves as MC's first home match at Longabaugh Field. Wet field conditions forced the Choctaws to play at Jackson Academy on Thursday, Aug. 31 and at Belhaven University on Saturday, Sept. 2.
• On offense, the Choctaws are averaging 1.50 goals per contest. MC currently leads the Gulf South Conference in shots taken (38), shots on goal (19), average shots per game (19) and shots on goal per contest (9.50).
• Horacio Gutierrez Jr., Connor Johnson and Marco Profumo all lead the Choctaws with one goal apiece.
• Johnson was awarded the GSC Defender of the Week for his performance last week. Johnson's goal in MC victory over Nova Southeastern served as the first MC goal of the year.
• Senior Jacob Farthing leads the Choctaws in points (3) and leads both the team and the conference in assists (3), and ranks second in the country in the category. The Wales, U.K. native has assisted on every goal so far for MC on the year. Freshman Michael Kuwornu has also recorded an assist for MC so far this season.
• The Choctaw defense has allowed just two goals through two games, for an average of one per contest. MC has allowed 24 shots, with 14 of them being on frame.
• In goal, Humberto Pelaez has seen all of the 200 minutes between the posts. The senior keeper has racked up 12 saves through two contest, a total that ranks second in the conference. Peleaz also ranks second in the conference in save percentage (85.7), and leads the GSC in saves per game (6).

 
OUACHITA BAPTIST NOTES

• The Tigers head into Friday's contest ranked number 15 in the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II rankings. The Tigers also find themselves ranked number one in the Central Regional Rankings.
• The Tigers (2-0) opened up their season with a pair of wins, a 1-0 victory over Dallas Baptist University on Thursday, Aug. 31 and a 3-0 victory over Southwest Baptist University on Saturday, Sept. 2.
• On offense, the Tigers are averaging two goals per contest, a mark that leads the Great American Conference. The Tigers have taken 32 shots in 2017, for an average of 16 per game.
• Tinashe Chigede paces the Tiger attack with four goals, a mark that leads the GAC and and ranks third in the NCAA. Blaine Hickman, Hector Duron, Eric Bentley and Michiru Forbess all have contributed for one assits on the season for Ouachita Baptist.
• The Tigers bring a defense in to Friday's match that has yet to give up a goal in 2017. The stout Tiger defense has allowed just nine shots on goal through two matches.
• Matt Gutierrez and Edward Pacheco have both recorded shutouts on the season in goal for the Tigers, and both bring a save percentage of 1.000 percent into this weekend's action. Pacheco leads the Tigers with five saves, while Gutierrez has recorded four on the year.  

HARDING NOTES

• Harding University brings a record of 0-1-1 into this weekend's action. In their opening weekend of games, the Bison fell to Oklahoma Christian 3-2 on Sat. Sept. 2, and played to a 1-1 draw against Williams Baptist on Tuesday, Sept.  5.
• The Bison have scored three goals in two games, for an average of 1.50 per match. Of the Bison's 42 shots, 17 have been on frame; for a shot efficiency of 40.5 percent.
• Harding is led by Jason Diaz, who has punched in a team-high two goals on the season. Braden Gundy and Jeremy Nwonumah both pace the Harding squad with one assist each.
• The Bison defense is currently allowing two goals per contests, and an average of seven shots on goal per game.  In goal, Michael Wasson has seen all 200 minutes between the posts, while grabbing nine saves on the year.
• Prior to the MC game, the Bison will face off against Delta State on Friday, Sept. 8 in Cleveland, Miss.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• The Choctaws bring an all-time record of 3-1 versus Ouachita Baptist, and a 1-0 record against Harding. In their most recent meetings in 2016, the Choctaws fell 2-0 to Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark. and defeated Harding 1-0 on in Clinton, Miss.

 
MATCH COVERAGE

• Coverage of This weekend's matches can be found on gochoctaws.com. Live stats will be available through choctawstats.com, while streaming video will be available through MC portal with stretch internet. Links will be provided through social media prior to the matches on Friday and Sunday afternoon. You can also follow this weekend's matches through Facebook live on MC Athletic's Facebook Page.
• Match time for Friday's contest against Ouachita Baptist is slated for 3:30 p.m., while Sunday's match vs. Harding is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start time.

 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.