East Mississippi announces 2023 men’s and women’s soccer schedules

SCOOBA -- Following a 13-year hiatus from the Mississippi community college soccer scene, East Mississippi Community College is set to return to the field next month with the announcement of the Lions' 2023 soccer schedule.

Guided by former Hinds Community College assistant soccer coach Chris Rash, the EMCC men's and women's soccer teams are slated to participate in four non-conference doubleheaders and four other single contests prior to taking part in an 11-match Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) schedule.

Fans will have an opportunity to check out some preseason soccer action during EMCC's "Meet the Lions" activities set for Wednesday, Aug. 16, on the Scooba campus. Festivities are set to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.

EMCC's season-opening soccer action is set to get underway on Friday, Aug. 18, when the men's team will play host to MUW in a scheduled 6 p.m. match at Sullivan-Windham Field. All of EMCC's home soccer matches will be contested on the fully turfed playing surface in Scooba that also serves as the home field for the reigning MACCC football champion Lions. The Lions' 2023 home soccer slate features six men's-women's doubleheaders, including four MACCC twin bills, and three solo non-conference men's matches.

Soccer doubleheader action is set to kick off on Sunday, Aug. 20, when the EMCC men's and women's soccer teams play host to Tougaloo College in Scooba. Following a men's non-MACCC home match versus Holmes on Friday, Aug. 25, the Lions will hit the road for men's-women's twin bills at Belhaven (Aug. 29), Southern Union State (Sept. 3), and LSU Eunice (Sept. 17). The EMCC women are also scheduled to travel to Lorman to meet Alcorn State on Sunday, Sept. 10.

With the MACCC utilizing an open soccer schedule without divisions for the upcoming 2023 campaign, each of the 12 conference schools competing in soccer will play each other once during the regular season. Coahoma, Mississippi Delta and Northeast Mississippi do not currently field men's or women's soccer teams.

During the six-week, regular-season conference slate, East Mississippi's soccer teams will play home MACCC doubleheaders against Itawamba (Sept. 15), Pearl River (Sept. 19), East Central (Sept. 26), Southwest Mississippi (Oct. 13), and Hinds (Oct. 24). The Lions will also hit the road for conference twin bills at Copiah-Lincoln (Sept. 22), Meridian (Sept. 29), Northwest Mississippi (Oct. 3), Mississippi Gulf Coast (Oct. 6), Jones (Oct. 17), and Holmes (Oct. 20).

With the Jones College men and Holmes women reigning as MACCC regular-season and NJCAA Region 23 Tournament champions, this year's postseason region tournament will consist of quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 28, semifinals on Friday, Nov. 3, and the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 5.

With assistance from the NJCAA Foundation, East Mississippi Community College announced its plans to reinstate the school's men's and women's soccer programs last summer. The NJCAA Sport Opportunity Grant provided $2,000 to assist in the rekindling of EMCC's soccer programs that previously fielded teams on the Scooba campus from 1998 to 2009.

2023 EMCC SOCCER SCHEDULE

Fri., Aug. 18 – MUW (M) – SCOOBA – 6 p.m.

Sun., Aug. 20 – TOUGALOO (W/M) – SCOOBA – 3 & 5 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 25 – HOLMES (M) – SCOOBA – 2 p.m.

Tues., Aug. 29 – at Belhaven (W/M) – Jackson – 5:30 & 7:30 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 3 – at Southern Union State (W/M) – Wadley, AL – 2 & 4 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 10 – at Alcorn State (W) – Lorman – 1 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 15 – ITAWAMBA* (W/M) – SCOOBA – 5 & 7 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 17 – at LSU Eunice (W/M) – Eunice, LA – 2 & 4 p.m.

Tues., Sept. 19 – PEARL RIVER* (W/M) – SCOOBA – 5 & 7 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 22 – at Copiah-Lincoln* (W/M) – Wesson – 1 & 3 p.m.

Tues., Sept. 26 – EAST CENTRAL* (W/M) – SCOOBA – 5 & 7 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 29 – at Meridian* (M/W) – Meridian – 5 & 7 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 3 – at Northwest Mississippi* (W/M) – Senatobia – 1 & 3 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 6 – at Mississippi Gulf Coast* (W/M) – Perkinston – 5 & 7 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 10 – SOUTHERN UNION STATE (M) – SCOOBA – 4 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 13 – SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI* (W/M) – SCOOBA – 1 & 3 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 17 – at Jones* (W/M) – Ellisville – 5 & 7 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 20 – at Holmes* (W/M) – Ridgeland – 1 & 3 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 24 – HINDS* (W/M) – SCOOBA – 5 & 7 p.m.