SENATOBIA - During Head Coach James Beattie's time at the helm of the Northwest Mississippi Community College women's soccer team, the Rangers have developed a reputation for success, accumulating a 43-1-1 overall record over the past two years that included back-to-back NJCAA DII Women's Soccer National Championships, winning the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament three times in a row, and cementing themselves as champions of the MACCC twice.
After two goals in the last four minutes of the game resulted in a 2-1 victory over #4 Heartland, NWCC concluded the 2025 season standing alone at the top as 2025 NJCAA DII Women's Soccer National Champions. Over the last two seasons, Northwest has gotten more than a taste of National Champion glory, and this year the expectation of excellence will remain.
"The expectation is the same as every year," Beattie said. "We need to compete and be better than we were individually and collectively."
Not only have the Rangers lost the history-making offensive force Emma Jensen but they will only see one of their top five scorers return in sophomore Mary Logan Clark. After scoring 11 goals in the 2025 season, Clark is the only returning player that scored 10 or more goals.
On the other side of the coin, the Rangers do return sophomores Kassidy McMillan, who led the team with 12 assists, and Olivia Miller, who had the third most assists on the team with nine.They will be the only two Rangers returning who finished the season in the top five for assists.
The offense is not the only area of the pitch that will be affected by the departure of players. Starting goalkeeper Ann Marie Barton, who led the Ranger backline to a stunning 1.08 goals against average and accumulated a 0.726 save percentage during the 2025 season, also graduated.
"Every year we always lose talent," Beattie said. "It's about adapting and stepping up individually and collectively."
Even though Northwest will be a young team, with only 12 players from the 2025 NJCAA DII Women's Soccer National Championship team returning, the fresh faces will bring the energy needed to maintain the Ranger standard of excellence.
Three freshmen, Brooke Davis, Ella King, and Iriko Rakotoarimanana, come in as multiple time state champions, while another freshman, Yazzlyn Alex, comes in as a state champion in cross country and track.
The rest of the freshman roster is filled with district champions, all-district honorees, and players with playoff experience.
"This group is exciting. We have talent and depth in every position," Beattie said. "All of them can contribute at every moment."
Due to their continued success and their status as reigning national champions, NWCC begins the season sitting at #1 in the NJCAA DII women's soccer preseason national poll.
From beginning to end, the Rangers' schedule is stacked with other teams that are present in the preseason poll. Northwest's season officially begins against a team that received votes in Arkansas-Cossatot. The Colts will be welcomed to Senatobia and the Ranger Soccer Complex at 2 p.m. on August 21.
NWCC then travels to St. Louis, Mo., from August 28 to August 30 to partake in the St. Louis Showcase where they will face two top-10 opponents in #8 Iowa Lakes and #10 Rock Valley.
The Rangers non-conference home schedule wraps up with a game against Dyersburg State on September 3 and National Park on September 11.
In between the two games, NWCC will face their last nationally ranked non-conference opponent when they travel to Wadley, Ala., and take on #13 Southern Union State on September 8.
"We need to play the best to compete with the best. These games aren't for us to feel good about ourselves. We want to be pushed," Beattie said.
Like always, conference action will prove to be a gauntlet for the Rangers. Including Northwest, half of the teams in the MACCC are ranked in the national preseason poll, and even the teams that are not ranked will be a formidable test.
NWCC opens their MACCC season at home in Senatobia with a game against Copiah-Lincoln on September 15. The team will then travel to Summit to take on Southwest on September 18 before facing two top-five opponents in #3 Jones and #5 Holmes on September 22 and September 25, respectively.
The tough matchups will keep coming when the Rangers travel to Perkinston to take on the #6 Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs on October 2 before hosting East Central in Senatobia on October 6.
For their last top 10 matchup of the season, NWCC will travel to the home of #9 Pearl River on October 9.
The next two matches will be against Meridian at home in Senatobia on October 13 and away at Itawamba on October 20.
The last home match of the year for Northwest will be against #20 Hinds on October 23 and they will close out the regular season by travelling to take on East Mississippi on October 27.
"There are great coaches and great teams within our conference. That's what makes it super fun," Beattie said. "No team can ever be overlooked. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day."
Although the schedule will be tough for the Rangers, this is nothing that they haven't conquered before because, of course, in order to be national champions you have to beat the best to be the best.
To stay up to date on the NWCC women's soccer team, follow the Ranger social media accounts or go to nwccrangers.com. Coverage of home games can be found on Ranger TV.
