The Blinn College men’s soccer team didn’t necessarily need Monday’s Region XIV match to end up in the win column.
But with a chance to build momentum ahead of their first-round playoff game, the Buccaneers put it there, anyway.
After tying Paris earlier this season, Blinn defeated the visiting Dragons decisively with a 2-0 shutout victory at Rankin Field inside Hohlt Park in Brenham.
Blinn (11-6-2, 7-6-1 Region XIV) had already clinched a playoff berth ahead of Monday’s match, but the win sets up the Buccaneers nicely ahead of their NJCAA Gulf South District Tournament matchup against No. 12 LSU-Eunice at 6 p.m. Friday.
“They kept a clean sheet, which is really nice,” third-year Blinn head coach Michael McBride said. “Finishing (the regular season) on a win with a clean sheet is really important to us.
“It was a really good and productive day … we managed to get everybody in the game, and a couple of sophomore-scored goals, which was appropriate for sophomore day, which was good.”
Trey Gage broke up a scoreless stalemate with a goal in the 54th minute, assisted by Kamille Kum and Keegan Woolley. In the 66th minute Israel Macias Martinez scored on a penalty kick to give the Buccaneers some breathing room. The two goals were the first of the season for both Gage and Martinez.
Blinn out-shot Paris (3-14-1, 3-10-1) 23-12.
Buccaneer goalkeeper Kevin Pena made seven saves for the shutout.
The 11 victories are now a program record, topping the 10 wins Blinn posted last season.
The Buccaneers and Dragons played to a much different result after the two teams gutted out a 3-3 double-overtime tie on Sept. 18 at Paris. This time around, Paris needed a victory to punch its own playoff ticket, but the Bucs sent the Dragons home for the season.
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.
