Box Score MERIDIAN - Entering Friday's conference-opening match at Meridian, the Northwest men's soccer team had fallen one goal short of forcing extra time in a pair of losses to Mineral Area College and National Park College.

However, the third time was certainly the charm for coach Michael Sullivan and the Rangers, as Northwest rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit and scored three unanswered goals in a 3-2 win at Meridian.

It was the second year in a row that the Rangers have defeated the Eagles, after claiming a 4-2 victory late last season. Northwest improved to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the MACCC, while Meridian dropped to 1-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

Meridian struck first in the seventh minute and again just 10 minutes later, building a 2-0 advantage that remained in tact until early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Matt Roth finally put Northwest on the board, severing the deficit in half.

Things were quiet until the 71st minute, when Gabriel Burton's long kick glided into the back of the net, tying the match. From there, Northwest remained on the offensive and just over 10 minutes later, the persistence paid off, as Miller Thorsen provided the go-ahead goal.

Meridian fought for the tie over the final eight minutes of regulation, including a good one-on-one look with two minutes left to go. However, freshman goalkeeper Will Thompson swatted the shot attempt away from the box, denying the equalizer for the Eagles. As time ticked away, Northwest cleared the ball out one last time, solidifying the road win.

Northwest will return to action on Tuesday, September 19 at Itawamba for a 4 P.M. first kick. Fans unable to attend can watch the match live on letsgoicctv.com.