Lady Rangers Set Out to Defend High Expectations
Northwest opens regular season vs. Mineral Area on Saturday evening
Aug. 22, 2024 – A lot has happened since James Beattie took over the Northwest women’s soccer program in December 2020.
Coming in during a season delayed by COVID-19, Beattie guided his first Lady Rangers’ team to a 6-6 record and the quarterfinal round of the MACCC/Region 23 playoffs. Since then, the program has taken off to new heights, garnering back-to-back 15-win seasons in 2021-22, back-to-back trips to the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship tournament in 2022-23 and the program’s first-ever NJCAA Region 23 championship last season.
“You can have plans and ideas, but going to the national tournament the last two years and winning the region tournament has really set the standard for where we want to be each year,” Beattie said. “That doesn’t mean we are going to get there every single year, but that is where we want to be every year. A lot of things can go wrong or right in a 90-minute match, and thankfully, a lot has gone right for us the past two years and we want to continue that tradition again this year.”
All of the factors above perhaps contributed to another milestone being shattered earlier this month, when Northwest was unanimously ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll. While that will undoubtedly place a nationwide target on his team, Beattie brings back a strong returning group of sophomores mixed in with some highly-coveted freshmen that should keep the Lady Rangers nationally-relevant throughout the season.
One of the biggest losses for Northwest will be on the back line, as the Lady Rangers lose the nation’s strongest, most-experienced defensive unit. Anchors Amaya Andrews and Raylin Dixon have moved on to Division I programs Jackson State and Jacksonville State, respectively, while fellow defenders Bre’Aunna Harps and Kaley Harden have also graduated.
“Honestly, I would be lying if I didn’t say our defensive positions are still wide open,” Beattie said. “Our back four is not going to look like it did at the end of last season, and we have not had a long enough case study to know who is going to play where. All of our freshmen have come in and are still adjusting to this level. Expectations are very high and we just need a longer case study to decide who is going to play in what positions.”
However, one of the most pivotal pieces returning is goalkeeper Anna Kathryn Harrell. The Tupelo native turned heads last season, collecting 19 wins and posting 18 shutouts. Harrell also finished with 71 saves and just six goals allowed, fielding a .922 save percentage. Her efforts earned her a slew of accolades, including six MACCC Goalkeeper of the Week awards, two NJCAA Goalkeeper of the Week accolades, All-MACCC, All-NJCAA Region 23, All-NJCAA Division II Tournament Team, NJCAA All-American and United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division II All-American Team honors.
“She is a year wiser and understands the different levels of soccer,” Beattie said, on his star sophomore shot-stopper. “She can play at every single level and is going to be a massive part of what we do this season.”
Despite the lingering questions on defense, things seem a little more clearer further up the pitch. Though Avery Hooker, Mia Kate Cade and Hudson Lindsay are some faces that will be missed in the midfield, Northwest does a solid core, consisting of leading scorer Mari Julia Delgado, along with Caroline Chandler, Raegan Tucker, and Yaritza Trejo.
“I think the midfield is going to be one of our strongest areas,” Beattie said. “Our returners are going to be pushed by some of our freshmen, like Jayden Newman, Lillie Grace McCutchen and Emma Jensen, who has done really well so far. We have a strong, competitive midfield and I am excited to see the different combinations that we can put in at different points of the season.”
On the front lines, the Lady Rangers will certainly miss the contributions of Evie Crawford and Jadyn Duran, both of whom have gone on to resume their careers at four-year schools. However, Penny Warner and Brandy Hernandez highlight some of the notable returners in that area, and Beattie is seeing a lot from his newcomers there as well.
“Our forwards might be our most exciting group,” Beattie said. “We have a lot of pace and all of the new players that have come in this season have that same trait. We have a lot of speed up top and us utilizing that pace to turn teams running back toward the goal is going to be the key to unlocking a lot of the defenses we will play against.”
One thing Beattie and his staff have done in recent years has been building up the schedule, both during the regular season and the spring exhibition season. Northwest has not shied away from facing Division I programs, facing the likes of Arkansas State, Little Rock and Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the preseason.
While some of that has been great for exposure, Beattie also uses it to push his team to its most challenging obstacles.
“Our sophomores understand that our exhibitions against Division I teams are to test us for the worst-case scenario,” Beattie said. “We played three exhibitions against three Division I teams this preseason, and some Division I schools don’t even play that many Division I opponents in the preseason. Hopefully, we have done that and we can kick on and have a great season.”
Aside from facing the Division I schools in the preseason, Northwest has also beefed up its non-conference slate over the past two seasons. The Lady Rangers have faced a slew of nationally-ranked opponents before ever stepping into MACCCcompetition, and will do so once again when Heartland, Northeast (Neb.) and St. Louis all make trips to Senatobia this season.
Even in conference play, the schedule won’t get any easier for Northwest. Several MACCC programs were ranked in the NJCAA Division II preseason rankings, including reigning national champions Jones College at No. 2 and traditional powerhouse Holmes at No. 5. Additionally, Pearl River was also in the rankings, with Mississippi Gulf Coast unranked, but receiving votes.
“When you look at three of the top five teams being from our conference, that speaks volumes,” Beattie said. “[The MACCC] has top coaches, top teams and we play against top players. I am not surprised each year that we have three or four of our teams in the top five. I feel that we will get stronger as a conference as the years go on, because like we have set the tone for our program, our conference has also set the tone of being nationally competitive moving forward.”
“This is the best conference that will prepare you for the national tournament,” Beattie added. “We are going to come up against multiple teams that are ranked and even the teams that are not ranked will be good teams as well. Our coaches and players in this conference are really good, and that’s the environment that we want to play in as a team. We want to be challenged and we want to be pushed, not only as players, but also as a coaching staff.”
As mentioned earlier, being the top-ranked team comes with its own share of obstacles, mostly facing an even-larger target than usual. Being ranked high also comes with opportunities though, and Northwest isn’t changing its goals, regardless of its ranking.
“We want to win the national tournament,” Beattie said. “Our number one hurdle is making sure that we are attacking day by day. You won’t win a national title in August, but August prepares you to win it. We have to focus on what we’re facing presently, and that’s taking on Mineral Area College on Saturday.
