Northwest earns No. 3 seed in NJCAA Division II soccer tournament
Northwest Mississippi Community College earned the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer National Championship after winning the Region 23 and Gulf South District championships. The Rangers, 16-3, are the top seed in Pool C and will pursue a third consecutive national title.
Northwest is scheduled to face No. 6 Schoolcraft on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m. The Ocelots, 15-3-1, scored 81 goals and recorded 72 assists in 19 games, while posting nine shutouts and a 0.70 goals-against average, according to the source.
The Rangers will close pool play against No. 10 Rock Valley on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. Northwest beat Rock Valley 6-0 at the St. Louis Showcase earlier this season. Freshman Rylee Ringold and sophomore Mary Logan Clark each scored twice in that game. Rock Valley, 15-2-3, has scored 76 goals and allowed 16 in 18 games.
Northwest enters the tournament after rebounding from three conference losses to defeat No. 1 Holmes and No. 3 Pearl River in the Region 23 and Gulf South District tournament. Holmes received the No. 2 seed, while Pearl River was seeded fifth. The Rangers also recorded four regular-season wins against top-25 opponents, including a 5-0 victory over Mississippi Gulf Coast, which was ranked No. 3 at the time.
Northwest has scored 104 goals this season. Freshman Yazzlyn Alex leads the team with 19 goals and 44 points. Sophomore Olivia Miller has 14 goals and a team-high three game-winning goals, two of them in the regional and district tournament.
The Rangers’ defense has allowed 13 goals in 19 games. Sophomores Lena Scholze and McKenzi Rankins and freshman Anna Rethmeier have been regulars on the backline. Freshman goalkeeper Lydia Knabb has played more than 1,000 minutes, with sophomore Darby Woolever also available in goal.
Northwest has reached the national championship game in each of the past three seasons. If the Rangers advance from pool play, the semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19, and the championship game for Saturday, Nov. 21, at noon. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Huntsville, Alabama, with games available on the NJCAA Network.
Source: Original Article
