SENATOBIA - 2024 was quite a year for the Northwest women's soccer program.  Head coach James Beattie's squad began the season with the program's first ever preseason No. 1 ranking and proceeded to conquer every obstacle in front of them.  That team finished the year with a perfect 22-0 record, the NJCAA Region 23 and Division II national championships, and the highest GPA of any women's soccer team in the NJCAA.  The sophomores from that class, eight of whom signed with four year institutions after the season, finished with a combined record of 43-2 and competed in the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship tournament in both seasons.

In July, former Ranger Sophia Lopez signed to play with NCAA Division I program Alcorn State, becoming the eighth Ranger to sign from the 2024 squad.  That gave Beattie his biggest four-year signing class since he took over the program in 2020. Yaritza Trejo, a midfielder in that class, became the first Ranger to sign with a Power 5 conference member when she signed with Ole Miss. "It's part of the program's culture now to move onto the next level. We are so proud of our former players and so excited to watch them compete at some of the highest levels of college soccer in the country," Beattie remarked.

Now, Coach Beattie and his 2025 Rangers are looking forward with excitement as the regular season rapidly approaches.  This time, they enter the season with the target squarely on their backs again, but with a better understanding of what it takes to get to the top and stay there.  On Monday afternoon, the NJCAA released the first poll of 2025 and the Rangers were once again in the top spot.  That makes two polls the team sits atop, after being listed in the top spot of the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division II rankings last week. (Click here to see the full USC poll.) 

Northwest received all nine first place votes and 140 points in the opening NJCAA poll to grab the top spot unanimously.  Johnson County (Kan.), the team the Rangers defeated in the championship match in 2024, claimed the #2 spot, while Heartland (Ill.), MACCC rival Holmes, and Pima (Ariz.) round out the top five.  (Click here to see the full NJCAA poll.)

The schedule is littered with ranked teams, as the Rangers face four non-conference opponents who are ranked or receiving votes as well as four conference foes in the same category.  Other MACCC programs recognized in the opening rankings include Holmes at No. 4, No. 10 Jones, and No. 15 Pearl River.  Itawamba is unranked, but received votes.

 "Our goal is to compete at the national level and be the best version of ourselves individually and collectively on and off the field," Beattie said when asked about his expectations for 2025.  In order to prepare himself and his squad to compete at such a high level, Beattie has gradually increased the intensity of his scheduling over the years. 

So far, the squad has competed in exhibition matches against three NCAA Division I teams-Southeast Missouri State, Central Arkansas, and North Alabama. "It is good for us to compete against top opposition early as it shows us what we need to work on to compete at the highest level possible in season." The Rangers have two more home exhibitions scheduled against NCAA programs beginning with an August 19 matchup against NCAA Division II foe Delta State, followed by a matchup with Christian Brothers on August 28. 

Additionally, Beattie has booked two tournaments on the road that feature nationally prominent competition.  The Rangers travel to Westfield, Indiana, for the 2025 JUCO Kickoff Classic, where they will face off against No. 14 St. Louis (Mo.) and Neosho County (Kans.) who, like Itawamba, received votes in the opening poll. After returning for the exhibition against Christian Brothers, the Rangers will play a neutral site match against No. 16 Northeast (Nebr.).

On September 5/6, the Rangers are participating in the Midwest South NJCAA Showcase in the St. Louis area.  There, the squad will square off against 2024 Semifinalist No. 3 Heartland (Ill.) and historically tough Mineral Area.  The nonconference schedule ends with a home tilt on September 12 against up-and-coming program National Park, led by Beattie's former assistant Corey Irvine. 

"We have to see where we are early. You don't win conference or national championships in August or September, so we play these teams to see what we need to work on to become the best version of ourselves come post season."  "If we are lucky enough to compete at the national tournament again this year, there is a good chance a few of these teams will be there." The matchup against National Park gives the squad a good chance "to get used to playing on home ground before season starts."

After all of that, the team will focus on the conference portion of the schedule.  "We are in a super tough conference against top players and top coaches, so we need to be on it to compete within our conference."  Northwest opens conference play at home on September 16 against East Mississippi.  Other home conference matchups include Itawamba (9/23), No. 15 Pearl River (10/3), Mississippi Gulf Coast (10/10), and Southwest Mississippi (10/24).  Northwest travels to Hinds (9/19), Meridian (9/26), East Central (10/7), No. 4 Holmes (10/14), No. 10 Jones (10/21) and Copiah-Lincoln (10/28) 

Beattie looks to a strong cast of returners to help carry the load this year.  Emma Jensen, the 2024 MACCC Player of the Year, returns in the middle with plenty of help from the likes of Caroline Hamm, Ruby Barton, Lillie McCutchen, and Allie Kimbrell, to name just a few.  The coach is also excited about his incoming freshman class.  When asked to highlight one or two, he could not do it without rattling off his full roster.  Maggie Pace and Kassidy McMillan, both from Madison, are two who have shown early promise.  Lena Scholze and Joline Knevel, who also hail from Jensen's home nation of Germany, are others who have stood out on a deep and talented roster. 

After cautiously adding the program's first international player in Jensen last year, Beattie brought the two in from Germany, one (Emma Demassey) from France, and one (Lara Stevens) from the United Kingdom this year. "Soccer is the world's game and the rest of the world has a lot of talent to offer. We want the best players, whether you're from Germany or Arkansas. We want the highest level of player to be playing for us," Beattie said when asked about expanding his recruiting reach. "The administration and my coaching staff give us all the resources to be the best versions we can all possibly be both individually and collectively." 

Northwest hosts its first home exhibition on Tuesday, August 19, against Delta State and six former Rangers.  The Rangers begin the regular season schedule on Saturday, August 23 against No. 14 St. Louis at the 2025 JUCO Kickoff Classic in Westfield, Indiana.  The first regular season home match is scheduled for September 12 at 2 P.M. against National Park. Coverage for all home matches will be available on Ranger TV.