SENATOBIA - Another strong year for the Northwest Mississippi Community College women's soccer team saw multiple Rangers pick up postseason accolades after the team marched to a 17-1-1 record and a third straight MACCC and Region 23 championship. Six players were named to the All-MACCC list and the coaching staff also recieved the Staff of the Year award, while Head Coach James Beattie was named the Region 23 and the Gulf South District Coach of the Year. 

"It's a collective effort. From the team to the staff to the athletic trainers and everyone who is at the school, it's really a collective that allows us to do what we want to do. It's good to get awards and they make you feel good but there are a lot of people behind it. I don't think it's just one person."

For the players side of things, Northwest saw Emma Jensen was the only player to pick up a First Team nod and received the most votes of any midfielder in the conference. The German sophomore had 27 goals and eight assists this season to lead the team and the conference in points with 62. She also scored in all but one game this year, that being the Region 23 semifinal against Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She tallied a pair of hat tricks on the season, including one against St. Louis Community College to open the season and another in the second conference game of the year against Hinds Community College. 

"She is a special player. She is the best player the program has every had. It's not just a fact she's a good player but a better person and hopefully we can end this on a high note, but she has contributed so much over these past two years," Beattie said.

The Rangers added another on the second team, Northwest added another midfielder in Joline Knevel while also seeing a pair of defenders earn the nod in Lena Scholze and Allison Carroll and one forward with Caroline Perkins getting on the list. Three of the Rangers on the second team were freshman with Carroll being the lone sophomore. The defense also nabbed a honorable mention with Allie Kimbrell making the list in her sophomore season. 

It made sense that the defense would be the most populated position for the Rangers this year as they were responsible for ten shutouts this year and only allowed more than one goal in a match five times in regular season and conference tournament games. Scholze, Carroll and Kimbrell also added five goals and six assists to the Northwest offensive attack. 

"The three of them have been huge, but it comes back to having a good team and good teammates to push them in training is big. Having a squad that is as deep as ours has helped them to become the best versions of themselves this fall," Beattie said.

Speaking of offense, Perkins and Knevel were also forces to be reckoned with for Northwest on the season, particularly Perkins who finished second on the team in goals with 15 going into the national tournament and had also added six assists. Her goal in the Region 23 semifinal was the biggest of the year for the Rangers as it ended up being the game winner, and she also got the teams started in the championship game with a goal. Perkins broke out in the year in the opening game of the conference season when she scored five goals in the win over East Mississippi Community College, which was the most since. 

"Perkins is a natural finisher and there aren't a lot of them in the game. What she can do is hard to find and there is only one other player that I've coached at Northwest that's had a similar triat to what she has. I'm proud of her," Beattie said. 

Knevel also had a strong year, although it was cut short due to an injury in the Region 23 quarterfinals with Itawamba. The freshman from Germany had eight goals and an assist this season and was a constant threat up and down the field, contributing on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. 

Northwest added another MACCC Staff of the Year award to their resume as well, picking up their third title in the last three years as they have helped the program to nearly 60 wins in the last three seasons, winning 30 MACCC regular season games in the stretch. Beattie said it is the team behind him that is what makes the full machine work. 

"Whenever I'm recruiting a staff, I try to get as many different personalities, as many different demeanors, because every kid is going to relate differently to each of our staff, which I think is key. I don't think you can have one outlet and that also goes to athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, academic advisors, the more outlets that you have, the better off they are going to be. There's kids that I click with really well, there are kids that Brandon clicks with really well, it's just having different personalities and I feel we have a really balanced staff because of that."

Beyond the paid employees, there are plenty of volunteers that help make the system work too. 

"Anyone that comes in and impacts the program and impacts the kids is part of it, and they know that. They are helping make decisions. There's a long list and I think it'd be really hard to name everyone so I think we are all aligned and geared towards the same goal."