NO. 10 NORTHEAST WOMEN’S SOCCER LOOKS TO CONTINUE PREVIOUS SUCCESS IN 2022

NORFOLK, Neb. – The No. 10 Northeast Community College women's soccer team earned the distinction of being ranked in the top-10 of the NJCAA's preseason poll, but they know it's the poll at the end of the season that carries the most weight. The reigning back-to-back Region XI Champions are poised to continue their run of success this fall.

Chad Miller, who enters his seventh season as the women's soccer coach, doesn't ask his team to ignore their previous accomplishments but rather looks to past seasons as building blocks for the present.

"We don't bring it up as coaches, but the players will a lot of times bring it up," Miller said. "I think our girls realize that it's a whole new squad and what the girls did last year and the year before that is a culture that they built, but as far as what they are going to do that season, it's their own story."

Miller also knows that with all the winning that has come in the last few seasons the Hawks will get the best shot from every team they face, but reiterates that he wants his teams focus to remain on them.

"We just say let's focus on our game and not worry about what they do," Miller said. "We just want to play our game and if they can beat us then great. Otherwise, we just want to do the best that we can do with our game and leave it at that."

There's a solid balance of newcomers mixed in with returners that will take the field this season. Midfielder Kailey Lincoln (Gold Coast, Australia) returns after being named First Team All-Region last year, while forward Romeni Gurmendi (Boulder, Colo.) also is back after earning NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors, claiming a spot of the Region XI All-Tournament Team and being labeled First Team All-Region in 2021.

Having both Lincoln and Gurmendi back delights Miller on a daily basis.

"The growth alone towards the end of the year with both of them was great," Miller said. "They started to feel a little bit more comfortable, and you could just see their growth and their vision improving. With their leadership coming back this year they are both leaders on the field and I think other players will feed off of them."

Midfielder Kyler Bowman (Topeka, Kan.) and defender Erica Derby (Keenesburg, Colo.) both captured the title of being Second Team All-Region in 2021 and are back for year two in a Hawks uniform.

"Those two are workhorses," Miller said. "They just go and they don't pay attention to anything around them. Kyler just plays her game and doesn't seem to have a care in the world but then Erica is an aggressive, straight at you kind of a player. They don't have a lower gear. It's just 100 percent or nothing."

Another player who is back, forward Taryn O'Brien (Lakewood, Colo.), returns to the Hawks after missing the 2021 season due to injury. Miller believes that O'Brien could be somewhat of a secret weapon up top this year.

"She had a great spring for us and coming back from her injury I think that she looks better now than when she came in," Miller said. "I think a lot of that is sitting out for a year and looking from the sideline in and the determination that it's built into her brain. When you take something away that you love so much it makes you want it even more. I think she'll be a surprise for a lot of people."

The 2022 roster has more new faces on it than Miller has been used to during his tenure, but he notes how that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"I really like our midfield," Miller said. "Carly Schaad (Columbus, Neb.) never stops and I think she'll be a key for us. We have Aiyden Woodall (Castle Rock, Colo.) coming in from Colorado. I was extremely impressed watching Reygan Garcia (Fort Lupton, Colo.) play this past spring. Jaiydn Cavalieri (Castle Rock, Colo.) is a holding mid for us and I think just watching her play this past spring she is going to be a great fit for us."

As with most teams who find a great deal of success there's always players who have to be replaced, but Miller believes the early returns from the new group have been positive.

"We had to replace almost our whole backline," Miller said. "Two center backs and an outside back graduated. Chelsea Dolbel (Devonport, Australia) was someone that we brought in during the spring and she filled that role really well. Oceanna Solis (Brighton, Colo.) and Madison Krueger (Hudson, Colo.) are coming in looking to fill those spots on the backline. It's going to be a battle on the defensive side."

When you have experienced as a team some of the highest of highs that the sport has to offer it's not always easy to determine what makes a season a successful one.

"That's always the tricky part because we've had a lot of success the last two years with winning our region and winning the district and going to nationals," Miller said. "The girls that are returning of course their goal is to win nationals. They've been there and now they want to win it. That's the tricky part. If you don't do that does that mean we weren't successful?"

Miller loves to win as much as anyone, but his focus is on the bigger picture when it comes to goals for the season.

"I think the girls have really built a strong culture here as far as winning and being successful and I really think if we do that again that's what's going to be important to me," Miller said. "Whether we win the region or win the district or make it to nationals, whatever that is, as long as the culture carries through I think that's my biggest focus."

The Hawks will return to action for their first game at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 18 against Central Community College in Columbus, Nebraska. The first home game will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 10 at Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk.

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