March 29, 2021
The Lady Warriors soccer team of East Central Community College posted a winning season of 9-7-1 all the way back in the fall of 2019, the last time this squad has seen the field. The team is now ready to be back in action after the 17-month long hiatus due to COVID-19.
"The girls have responded well to all of this adversity, and have continued to show up each day willing to learn and work on new systems of play," said East Central women's head coach Ryan Joiner. "Our sophomores have laid a great foundation for the freshman to follow, but since this year has been extended out to the spring, we feel our entire team has had time to grow as players and people, most importantly. We are fortunate that the long break gave us time to gel and bond as a team, but it also allowed us time to work on things tactically we normally didn't or wouldn't have time to with a usual preseason of only 2 weeks."
Joiner hopes that extra time will translate to strong communication and teamwork on the pitch as the team looks to possess the ball, play fast, and constantly press teams high up the field to win the ball back in the final third.
Pairing an exciting offense that looks to score goals by committee is a strong defense that will be the backbone of the team.
"We feel we are very solid defensively and only conceded 3 goals in the fall," said Joiner. "We have continued to build on those defensive principles and bring in loads of pace all over the field to help counter many of the teams in our conference that have speed."
The Lady Warriors have nine sophomores and 11 freshmen listed on the team for 2021.
Returning defenders include Madison Diers (Ellisville), Kelsea Archer (Purvis), Susie Stevison (Long Beach), and Ameris Taylor (Ocean Springs). On the offensive front and midfield spots Brendaisha Garrett (Gautier) and Abbie Rutledge(Sheffield) return as the leading scorers after scoring a pair of goals each back in 2019. They are joined by Daelyn Kell(Ocean Springs), Jada Flores (Pass Christian), and Vanessa Martinez (Kosciusko).
This group of talented players, that have experience in this league, look to lead a talented group of freshmen players to another strong season of Lady Warrior soccer.
"We expect to compete in each game and move forward one match at a time this season. The core players returning this year felt what it was like to make the playoffs and lose in a tough penalty shootout in 2019 so they have driven this team forward and have shown the younger players what they can accomplish if they continue to work," said Joiner. "Our team set goals early in the year and have revisited those since then. We aspire to win a region title, winning the north division, and competing in the NJCAA National Tournament. Over the past two seasons, the program has grown in a positive direction and this years' team has a chance to do something special."
The Lady Warriors start the long-awaited 2021 campaign Tuesday, March 30 with a trip to Jones College in Ellisville for a pre-season matchup at 5 p.m. before officially getting the season underway in Meridian on Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m. against the Lady Eagles.
