Box Score
PINEVILLE, La. – For the first time in more than a year, the Louisiana College men's soccer team can call itself a winner. And, after a 2-0 win over Millsaps in the season opener, first-year coach
Prince Borde can boast of having a winning record.
It was the perfect start for a man who was hired last spring with the aim of turning around the fortunes of a team that had won a combined two games the last three seasons.
“I didn't do much,” Borde said. “The credit for this win goes to the guys. We thank God first and foremost. He gets the credit no matter what happens. It was a great win for the program. It starts us out on the right foot.”
Junior defender
Luke Brewer, one of the returning players from the 2010 campaign, was on the field down the stretch and got to experience the thrill of a win for the first time since the Wildcats (1-0) defeated McMurry in 2009.
“It feels good to finally have a win in the season opener,” Brewer said. “Since I've been here, we've always come off of an exhibition win over the alumni team and went on to lose our opener. Tonight we were able to put together a win. The difference, I think, isn't in our skill. We've had skill here in the past and we certainly have skill this year. What we have now is the correct mentality. We believe we can win. It's still a work in progress, for sure. But Coach Prince is molding us together into a functioning unit.”
The Wildcats benefitted from a Millsaps miscue early. The Majors (0-1) scored an own goal in the 15th minute to allow LC to take a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
What followed was a high-pressure second half in which the Wildcats turned away numberous Millsaps scoring threats.
In the 86th minute,
Caio Sousa scored a goal that was set up by quick passes from
Raffi Ferreira to
John Michiels to the waiting foot of Sousa, who sent the ball in for an insurance goal.
“The guys displayed a winning mentality tonight,” Borde said. “That mentality is so precious. Not everyone has it, but they showed it tonight. And credit to Millsaps. We were under amazing pressure most of the second half, but we overcame. That is the important thing. We overcame.”
LC returns to action at 3 p.m. on Saturday with a home match against Spring Hill.
