Sports
RedStorm Claim MSC Crown
By: Kaleb Carter
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Once again, coach Scott Morrissey and his Rio Grande RedStorm are Mid-South Conference champions after a 3-1 defeat of Cumberland.
This marks the 14th time in the RedStorm have won a conference championship, and it is the third time they have won the MSC.
The Bulldogs did Rio a favor by knocking out the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders who are nearly every year among the NAIA’s best and this season was no exception. The Bulldogs took down the Blue Raiders 1-0 on Thursday. Rio and Lindsey Wilson tied back in September.
Wasting no time in the contest, MSC Freshman of the Year Pau Rodriguez scored first for Rio Grande, putting one past the keeper in the ninth minute to go up 1-0. The two teams proceeded to trade goals as Tom Riley scored in the 20th minute and Rodriguez scored again in the 58th minute. Maximilliano Viera added an insurance goal on a free kick from 20 yards out to put away the Bulldogs for good.
The RedStorm outshot the Bulldogs by a margin of 14-6, a far greater effort from a Cumberland squad that the RedStorm previously defeated 6-0.
Rio maintains a record of 15-2-2 heading into the NAIA tournament. They are all but guaranteed a first round home match up with the opponent still undetermined.