SENATOBIA - Things did not go as planned for Northwest head coach Mark Hogan and his men's soccer squad last season.

Already dealing with a shortened and unusual spring season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Rangers also lost several newcomers as a result. Injuries then took it's toll on the remaining roster, leaving Northwest to limp to a 1-9-1 overall record.

Despite the challenges and adversity that the first half of 2021 brought, Hogan's club continued to fight through and scrapped its way into the playoff picture until the final week of the regular season. With a total of 22 student-athletes in place for this season, the fourth-year head coach is looking for a return to some normalcy as the season rapidly approaches.

"We are going to have more depth this season," Hogan said. "Our team is a significant increase from last season, so there will be some fighting for playing time. If you don't have a couple good practices, then it will be the next man's turn. Being able to have options puts myself and our team in a good position."

One area benefiting the Rangers is the return of a veteran-heavy defense, which returns starters Luis Cosme, Caleb Merritt and Dylan Riley. Leading scorer and First Team All-MACCC selection Peyton Coker returns for a third season to help anchor the midfield, along Blaine Galbraith and Itawamba transfer Hart Smith. 

It will be up to the newcomers to earn their stripes up front and at the goalkeeper position. A total of 13 freshmen account for over half of the 2021 roster, though Hogan admits he likes what he sees so far.

"From what we have seen out of our newcomers, I think we look good and continue to improve," Hogan said. "We have had one intersquad scrimmage that ended 3-1, but I am ready to see how they perform in live action."

Out of the group of new Rangers, Logan Coker, Jesus Villegas, Seth Santiago and Braylon Kettler will jockey for the forward slots, while Coker, Kettler and Santiago could slide into the midfield if necessary. 

As usual, Hogan expects nothing short of a challenge in the MACCC North Division. In order to get over the hump and into the playoffs, Northwest will have to navigate through defending division champion Hinds and a trio of battle-tested programs in East Central, Holmes and Itawamba.

To help tune up for the division slate, the Rangers have several tricky matchups outside the conference, including St. Charles, MUW and Belhaven University. Additionally, the schedule also includes non-division matches at Meridian and Copiah-Lincoln.

"As a four-year program, Belhaven will be tough to go against," Hogan said. "(But) I wanted to add some four-year schools to the schedule in order to give our guys some looks and potentially some coaches at the next level that like what they see. St. Charles has several international players on the roster every year, so it's normally hard to tell what they might look like until you actually play."

Overall, Hogan's goal remains the same as it did when he started - getting his team into the playoffs and into position for a title.

"We have some height and have some speed, so it will just be a matter of putting all the pieces together."

Northwest will get its first look at live action next Thursday, August 19, against Blue Mountain. Start time is slated for 3 P.M. from the Senatobia Sports Park.