August 11, 2022
Coming off a historic year in 2021 that saw the East Central Community College Lady Warriors ranked as high as No. 2 in the NJCAA national poll, the team is poised for another stand-out season under the direction of fifth-year coach Ryan Joiner.
The Lady Warriors finished last season with a 9-5 record and just missed out on the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference playoffs after some tough, untimely losses. Despite the outcomes, the Lady Warriors proved to be a force to be reckoned with around the league as ECCC snagged multiple big-time victories.
"We are coming into this season with a team that is full of depth," said Joiner. "That is something that we've lacked in the past, and as a team, we are very organized and eager to work together."
Joining the Lady Warriors in 2022 is 16 talented freshmen. Those include Allie Trager, Ashton Rupert, Jade Brown, Katie Staton, Micah Benson, Hallie Grace Stribling, Ella Setnikar, Maggie Bullock, Crislyn Gregory, Karlie Denius, Mellee Diers, Torrance Rouchon, Abby Regan, Skyler Miller, Atley Thompson, and Jenna Thompson. The freshman class has players in all positions including the Lady Warriors' two goalkeepers, Trager and Rupert.
The incoming group joins returning sophomore Morgan Massey, Juliana Wells, Trinity Barden, Lily Butcher, Lexi Green, Kara Wager, Victoria Moseley, and third-year sophomore Gabby Falla. Falla picked up Second-Team All-MACCC honors a year ago for her standout play from the midfield position.
"Our sophomores, including our captains Kara Wager and Gabby Falla, help set the team-first mentality that we are looking to instill in our players," said Joiner. "This group knows what to expect from this league and they will be stellar leaders for our freshman class."
The Lady Warriors are talented in all facets of the game but hard-nosed, physical defense is what the Lady Warriors look to bring to opponents this season.
"We are very sound defensively," said Joiner. "We have great structure as a team and have great pace that will help us with counterattacks. We might see some low-scoring matches, but we also have several players up front that have the ability to score goals."
On the offensive front, the Lady Warriors are a high-pressing team who have the pace and desire to win the ball back quickly in the final third. Every player that lines up offensively has the ability to score in bunches which could lead to multiple double-digit scorers and provide ECCC with the depth to utilize different shapes and systems throughout the year.
In the midfield, ECCC has numerous players that have great high school and club backgrounds that bring organization and tactical skills to the team. The group is willing to get into position anywhere on the pitch and are catalysts for the team as their success will quickly translate to team success.
The defensive front is made up of players that all bring unique skills to the roster. These players are physically robust and can look to counterattack and press the front as well as help the team organize from the back.
In the net, the Lady Warriors have two stellar freshmen that look to continue to battle for a starting role in an effort to continually push each other to get better. Both bring lots of athleticism to the team and provide even more depth to an already loaded roster.
The MACCC will be utilizing a new system in 2022 as the conference has eliminated the north and south divisions and combined the 11 programs into one open conference. Every team will play each opponent one time with the top seven programs earning postseason spots. The overall winner will get a bye into the tournament, while teams seeded two through seven will have a play-in game at the higher seed's home venue. The winners of those three games will join the overall winner for a three-day, four-team NJCAA Region 23/Gulf South District Championship held at the men's overall winner's home field.
"This new system means that every game we play matters, and those road conference matches become even more important," said Joiner. "Winning home matches, and even getting draws on the road will all be big factors this year, and this will allow the best teams to get into the playoffs."
The Lady Warriors have taken campus by storm and are eager to take the field in 2022. The quick, athletic, and deep roster is ready to build on last year's success and take the East Central Lady Warrior soccer program to even new heights this year.
"We are looking to make it to the playoffs and hopefully compete for a conference title," said Joiner. "This is one of the fittest teams I've ever had, and it will be the most difficult decision I have ever had to make when it comes to selecting starters."
Joiner will be joined by volunteer assistant coach Tyler White this season, and the Lady Warriors kickoff the 2022 campaign on Monday, August 22, with a road trip to Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
