SOCCER LOSS: TSC ONLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN TOURNEY

Even though they put up a valiant second-half rally against soccer power house Iowa State, Texas Southmost College Scorpion soccer team came up one goal short in the consolation bracket of the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association National Soccer Championship.

The Scorpions traveled to Round Rock Wednesday to participate in the NIRSA National Championship at the Round Rock Multi-Purpose Complex.

They played against Florida State University in pool play. Their second pool match that same day was at 3 p.m. against Cal Poly.

TSC is one of 24 teams from around the country to qualify to the NIRSA National Championships soccer tournament. The 24 teams are divided into eight pools of three teams each. The Scorpions will compete in Pool H against FSU and Cal Poly.

The Scorpions are ranked No. 10 in the NIRSA Regional IV soccer rankings. TSC is the only community college ranked in the Top 10 and consists completely of Rio Grande Valley soccer players that graduated from local high schools, including Scorpions head coach Mario Zamora.

"The Florida and Cal Poly teams were made up with a lot of players from Latin America and European countries," said TSC board president Adela Garza. "Our kids hung in there and nearly caught up with them. Some of the players were near tears and I told them that they should be proud that they had been the only community college to get to that level in the entire country and that were were very proud of them."