Bulldogs bash Bears

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast blew open a close women's soccer game in the second half and pulled away for a 4-1 win over Southwest Mississippi at Bary Thrash Field on Tuesday.

Alyssa Palisi (So., Diamondhead/Hancock) scored the final two goals, and Katie Brown (So., Picayune/Home School) had a long-range goal and an assist. Katherine Dubon (So., Richmond, Va./Manchester) also had a goal and an assist.

"I thought it was a complete performance in the second half," Gulf Coast coach Jackie Rhodes said. "The first half, I think we struggled a little bit. We still had possession the majority of the game, but the second half we came alive and scored some goals."

Brown set up Dubon with a free kick for the opening goal. Dubon nodded it home in the 37^th minute. Brown's blast from distance came seven minutes into halftime.

After Southwest answered with a long-range blast of its own in the 59^th minute, Palisi closed things out. Dubon set up her first goal, and Ashley Preston (So., Wiggins/Stone) assisted on the second in the final two minutes.

"She's a mental player, so she needs that confidence to be able to score goals," Rhodes said. "When she has that confidence, she's kind of unstoppable."

Gulf Coast (3-3, 2-1 MACCC South) hits the road again this week. Tuesday's game gets the Bulldogs pointed in the right direction.

"We got some momentum," Rhodes said. "We've got a big game on Friday against Pearl River, so we need all the momentum and confidence we can get right now."

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