ELLISVILLE - Four first half goals helped Northwest fight off a late rally from Itawamba in Thursday's 4-2 victory in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament at Jones College.
With the win, the Lady Rangers improved to 17-0 on the season and effectively punched their ticket to the upcoming NJCAA Division II National Championship tournament for the third straight season. Northwest will aim to lock up its second consecutive Region 23 championship on Saturday afternoon, facing off against fifth-ranked Holmes at 2 P.M.
Mari Julia Delgado provided the first spark for the Lady Rangers, scoring an unassisted goal in the sixth minute of the match. The sophomore from Trinity, Ala. added an assist just five minutes later, as
Penny Warner brought the Northwest lead to a 2-0 margin.
In the 19th minute,
Emma Earwood connected with
Emma Jensen to make it a 3-0 advantage.
Tabitha McMackin rounded out the first half scoring surge in the 37th minute, thanks to Delgado's second assist of the match.
Despite the solid lead at the break, the Lady Rangers were unable to connect on any shots in the early stages of the second half. Itawamba used the scoring silence to ramp up its attack, eventually breaking through in the 72nd minute on a goal by Cooper Pletzke.
In the 85th minute, the Lady Indians sliced the deficit in half, as Isobel Kinsella connected with Vanessa Baugatz on a goal. However, Northwest shut out the opposition over the final five minutes, fighting off the comeback effort.
Northwest finished with 26 total shots, including 13 on-goal. Itawamba was held to just 10 total shots, with eight of those coming in the second half alone.
Reigning MACCC Goalkeeper of the Week
Anna Kathryn Harrell finished with two saves and no goals surrendered over the first 60 minutes of the match. Freshman
Ann Marie Barton closed out the final 30 minutes, recording a pair of saves.
Annabelle Holman played the full match for Itawamba, tallying nine saves with four goals allowed.
Both teams combined for 18 fouls, with 10 coming against Northwest. Itawamba's Kinsella and Pletzke were issued cautions in the 44th and 90th minutes, respectively.
With her one goal and two assists, Delgado moved to a tie for sixth in career points (67), joining Gena Gutierrez (2004-05) and
Evie Crawford (2022-23). The Trinity, Ala. native also recorded her 10th assist of the season, tying Jennifer Enriquez (2022) for sixth-most in a single season. Delgado now has 25 assists for her career, ranking second only behind Enriquez (30) for the program record.
Additionally, Jensen's team-leading 17 goals are now good for sixth-most in a single season, while her 43 points are tied with Delgado's total from last season.
