Men's Soccer Headed to Playoffs After 1-0 Win at Chandler-Gilbert

  CHANDLER, AZ - Alex Gutierrez, pictured right (13) (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Mesa H.S.) picked a perfect time to score his first goal of the year, drilling the game-winner with two minutes to play to lift MCC to a 1-0 win over Chandler-Gilbert Saturday night.

  Mesa will play at Pima Monday night at 6:00 p.m. MCC pulled ahead of CGCC which needed only a win or tie to take the final playoff spot.

  The T-Birds defeated Pima 3-2 in Tucson in the teams' first meeting this year and then dropped a controversial 4-3 overtime decision Thursday night at home when PCC was awarded two penalty kicks in the final 11 minutes, sending the game into extra play.

  Gutierrez headed in the goal with 2:11 to play to give the Thunderbirds the victory. MCC is currently playing without its stop two scorers, Kaue Martins (So., Sao Paulo, Brazil/Corona de Sol (AZ) H.S.) and Julian Galvan (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Westwood H.S.) who are both out with injuries.

  Goalkeeper Kendyl Day (Fr., Gilbert, AZ/Basha H.S.) kept the T-Birds in the match all night by making seven saves. He has six shutouts on the year.

  The victory lifts the T-Birds into the ACCAC/Region I Playoffs for the first time since 2007. It also ensures the first better-than-.500 record since 2006.