WOMEN'S SOCCER AIMING HIGH

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Following a heartbreaking defeat in the Region IX Championship Game a season ago at home, the Northwest College women's soccer team is aiming for a repeat campaign while trying to take home the first Region IX title in women's program history.

"That was a heartbreaker, it was brilliant to have hosted the region final," coach Rob Hill said. "I think some of those sophomores have got that etched in their brain, and they want to make sure we have a good season and hopefully get back there."

Those sophomores returning to the team include a number of the top performers from a year ago, spearheaded by a Third-Team All-American selection in Elli Lewis, who finished last season with 14 goals and 13 assists on the wing for the Trappers.

Northwest also brings back a number of starters and players who have had significant experience in the program, including Juliana Hidalgo in net, Abby Derbyshire in attack, Riley Noles in defense along with Brooke Travers, Savannah Morton, Olivia Godfrey, Nayelli Aguayo and Aubree Fisher who received significant experience last year along with Kassidi Webb.

Alongside those 10 returning sophomores, Hill said the team has brought in 14 new freshmen, with seven coming to the Trappers from around the region as well as seven international students.

Hill said the Trappers will need to replace significant starters from last year, from Pressly Taylor at striker to Ashley Measles in defense, but he feels the incoming players are ready to step up and take those positions with the Trappers having a deeper pool of talent from a year ago.

"We lost some very good players … They're big spots to fill, but I feel like we've got some very talented players," Hill said. "I thought we had some very good individual players last year, but we've got a way deeper pool this year … They fit in really well with the team in terms of the relationships and the chemistry."

He said the key will be adapting to a speed, intensity and pressure they're not used to, as well as, especially for the European players, playing in temperatures they're not used to.

Hill said another big factor for the women's team early this season will be the number of freshmen, as unlike the men's team, the freshmen outnumber the returning sophomores so the team has had less time to gel together before stepping on the field.

"These guys have a larger freshman body, so they've only been together really five days," Hill said Thursday. "I'm expecting a lot of learning moments, a lot of coaching moments, but I'm excited for this group. The level of talent is big, and I think as soon as they realize that if they can match the talent with the work rate, the intensity and the attitude then they're gonna be good this year as well."

Hill said the smaller group of sophomores has stepped up early on, helping set the standard for the incoming players who need some time to adjust to the junior college level.

"I think there's some girls stepping up that haven't been leaders in the past that are stepping up now," Hill said. "We do have some club players that have come from good levels as well, so they're used to that high level of soccer. There's some of the Wyoming girls that are coming in off high school, and it's a big jump for them. They're athletic enough, they're aggressive enough, the sophomores will be big and an important part of setting the standard for training, the games and helping people on the field."

Northwest will host a pair of four year schools in scrimmages to kick off the early season, taking on the University of Providence on Friday at 11 a.m. and Rocky Mountain College at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Hill said he is hopeful the Trappers will take lessons from the scrimmages before starting the regular season on the road against Yavapai College on Aug. 21 and Western Nebraska Community College on Aug. 22 in neutral site games in Ephraim, Utah.

"Because we've got such a large number of freshmen, I think the opening games are going to be a shock for them when they play Rocky and Providence," Hill said. "I think they're going to be shocked at the level of pressure they're under, how little time they have on the ball and the aggression and physicality they've been working hard on in practice. They're a little bit too nice right now, and nice doesn't always win. We have to get them used to the level of competition that's going to happen to them, we're trying to recreate it in practice, but there's nothing like a good game … I think Rocky and Providence will be perfect games for us."

The Trapper women will then head on the road following the scrimmages for the next month before returning home to take on Gillette College on Sept. 19.