JACKSON - For the second straight season, Northwest women's soccer coach James Beattie has earned NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year honors.

Beattie was presented with the award last Saturday, following the Lady Rangers' 4-1 victory against Holmes in the NJCAA Region 23 Championship match. For Northwest, it marked the program's second consecutive Region 23 title and locked up another automatic bid to the upcoming NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Tournament.

After starting the season as the No. 1 team in the NJCAA Preseason Rankings, the Lady Rangers swept through the regular season with an undefeated record and held on to the top spot in the national rankings all season long, becoming the first team to do so since Heartland in 2021. Following the region championship win, Northwest currently sits 18-0 overall, marking the first time the Lady Rangers have finished a regular season unbeaten.

Prior to the region tournament, Northwest secured the outright MACCC Championship following a win against Copiah-Lincoln on October 25. This is the second year in a row that the Lady Rangers have earned at least a share of the conference title, after finishing as co-champions with Holmes and Jones College during the 2023 campaign.

Beattie was also named Region 23 Coach of the Year last season for helping Northwest to the program's first region championship. Last season, the Lady Rangers finished 21-2 overall with one of the nation's top offenses.

In his five seasons at the helm, Beattie has transformed the expectations of the Northwest women's soccer program. He surpassed Northwest Sports Hall of Fame coach Peter Jarjoura earlier this season to become the Lady Rangers' all-time winningest coach and currently holds a career record of 75-13-4. Beattie has also guided NWCC to the Region 23 playoffs in each of his five seasons, the program's longest postseason streak.

Northwest will open up its path in Pool A of the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Tournament on Sunday, November 17 at 10 A.M. against eighth-seeded Scottsdale (Ariz.). The Lady Rangers will then face St. Charles (Mo.) on Tuesday, November 19 at 10 A.M. The winner of the pool will advance to the semifinals on Thursday.