Needing a victory to punch their playoff ticket, the Buccaneers delivered a 3-1 decision over Region XIV foe on sophomore day at Rankin Field inside Hohlt Park on Monday in Brenham.
“It was all about the result,” third-year head coach Michael McBride said. “In the past we’ve played better and lost, but they got the result and that’s all that counts — and we’re still playing — so we’re happy with that.”
The postseason appearance will be the second straight for Blinn (6-8-1, 5-8-1 Region XIV), and was made possible by goals from three different Buccaneers.
Taiya Mitchell got her team on the board with a score off a free kick in the 50th minute, and Rosie Young used an assist from Anissa Chairez to make it a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute.
Paris (4-13-1, 3-11-1) made things interesting with a goal in the 76th minute, but Blinn’s Kara Papadimitrio put the game out of reach in the 86th minute when she beat the Dragon defense and pushed one past goalkeeper Renea Garza to close out the scoring.
“This was a really big deal for us because when we played Paris the first time, we went into overtime and we tied that game (0-0),” Papadimitrio said. “And obviously this was the game that decided if we go to the playoffs or not, so this was a really big one for us.
“We’d been having a tough couple of games, and I thought this was one where we really came together and played our best.”
Blinn keeper Angel Chase made four saves. As a team, the Buccaneers managed six shots, while Paris tallied five.
Blinn will now face region counterpart and No. 17 Navarro (10-4) on the road at 4 p.m. Thursday in the NJCAA Gulf South District Tournament.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
About the Blinn College District
With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. Courses are available online and at five Central Texas campuses, and students save 43% in tuition and fees compared to the average state university. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
