SENATOBIA - Northwest and head coach Michael Sullivan inched closer to success in 2023.

Though the Rangers missed out on the playoffs in Sullivan's second season, Northwest doubled its win total from two matches to four. More importantly, all four victories came in MACCC competition, keeping the Rangers very much alive in the postseason race until the final two matches of the season.

Although Northwest finished 4-11 overall last season, several losses were much closer than they appeared on paper. With that in mind, Sullivan still finds plenty of positives from his 2023 squad, including sending four players to four-year programs.

"The biggest thing that we wanted to establish was our culture," Sullivan said, on Thursday's BankFirst Ranger Hour. "That is the biggest thing for me. We went and found a bunch of guys that fit the mold of the culture we want to establish. We did take those steps forward and we had a lot of fight out of those guys last year. You win some and lose some, but the overall fight and chemistry was there. We fought through some matches and won some games that people thought we were not supposed to win. Ultimately, we fought for a playoff spot up until the last week of the season, so there was some major ground made there."

Sullivan's team was made up of several sophomores and transfers last season, but he also went out and found plenty of freshmen that made a positive impact.

"It's more than just liking the way someone plays," Sullivan said. "It takes that conversation or two to lift the veil and understand how somebody works. This is a job where you have to work with people a lot and hopefully, when you have those conversations with those players, you get a real good feeling about what they will bring to the table. You obviously know what they will bring on the field, but you have to do that extra work to find out what kind of culture they are going to bring in to the team."

This season, the Rangers look much different. Northwest only brings back four sophomores with on-field experience last season, while redshirt sophomores Cody Smothers and Will Waltrip return to the pitch after sitting out the 2023 campaign. Meanwhile, Sullivan brings in a total of 19 newcomers, including 16 true freshmen.

"Cody has been with us for a while, and we appreciate the overall effort and commitment he has to our program," Sullivan said. "Hopefully, he can help propel this group forward. Miller Thorsen and Will Waltrip both want to push the team forward and give us momentum going into the regular season. They are going to bring experience, leadership and good culture for the team."

Although they haven't played as many exhibition games as their women's soccer counterparts, Sullivan is impressed with what he's seen from this season's Ranger squad.

"Overall, I have really enjoyed the fight that this group has," Sullivan said. "It's incredible. We have had a few different moments in the exhibitions we have had so far where things haven't gone our way, but when we're going through those moments, this team has not faltered from what we are trying to get done. Things may be a little bumpy here and there, but they have stayed with it, they get the job done and fight through to get that momentum back. It has been an honor to coach these guys so far and I am looking forward to getting into conference play, and shocking quite a few people."

One of the most stacked areas for Northwest comes at the goalkeeper position, highlighted by Delta State redshirt sophomore transfer Jacob Little and true freshman John Barbour. 

They are battling it out and keeping each other competitive," Sullivan said. "We are looking at both of them to push each other. Every team will have a mishap and you don't want to have to always rely on your keeper to bail you out, but they're both doing a good job at pushing the envelope. We are really excited to have those guys backing us up."

Although there is plenty of optimism to be had about Northwest, the schedule will be a difficult one. Aside from facing three nationally-ranked opponents in the MACCC, the Rangers are scheduled for a tough non-conference slate, beginning with No. 12 Mineral Area College on August 24 and third-ranked Northeast (Neb.) on Labor Day. Add in a non-conference neutral site match with Copiah-Lincoln and matches against Blue Mountain JV, Central Baptist College and Southern Union State, and Sullivan's group will be in for a grueling season schedule.

"Mineral Area is a competitive team that comes in with a large international roster," Sullivan said, on Saturday's season-opening opponent. "That presents different difficulties for us when you are playing against people from other countries that have grown up playing the sport. It's different in every country, so it will be a good test for us to recognize the different ways people play this game. I expect a lot of intensity and good ball movement. We lost a close 3-2 match to them last yea, but we have gotten a lot better since then. We are excited to see what kind of overall battle that we give them."

Regardless of how the season shakes out, there is little doubt that the Rangers will continue to take steps toward success under Sullivan's leadership. Having more depth in recent years certainly will help to keep opposing teams on their toes.

"This year is going to be unbelievably difficult trying to figure out who will play where on gameday," Sullivan said. "This team is a lot deeper than we have been in years prior, and that brings a lot of good things to the table. It is going to be a lot more complicated this year in making sure we have the right lineup on the field. It's going to be a lot more cyclical starting lineup for the season, because we are a good bit deeper, but we are fortunate and blessed to have those options available. I am super excited to see what they will bring to the table."

Three of the Rangers' first four regular season matches are scheduled at home, not including Monday's exhibition against Tougaloo. All home matches will be carried on Ranger TV.