August 11, 2022
Under the direction of second-year head coach Ethan Paschal, the East Central Community College Warrior soccer team is looking to make waves in the 2022 season.
The Warriors finished the 2021 season 2-11-2 in the always challenging Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC). With some talented players returning and a host of incoming freshmen that look to make an impact on the pitch, the Warriors are looking for many more wins this time around.
"Depth is something we struggled with last season," said Head Coach Ethan Paschal. "This roster of returning sophomores, along with the group of freshmen that we have, gives us a lot of variety and options when it comes to lineups."
The Warriors look to be fierce in all areas of the game, beginning with a group of attackers that can utilize their speed and ball handling skills to take on defenders one-on-one and have an eye for the goal. In the midfield, is a group of technical players that understand the need to win and keep possession of the middle of the field to benefit the Warriors' style of play, which is attacking on transitions.
"Transition is going to be where we are most dangerous," said Paschal. "We look to win the ball and go for the goal by utilizing our pace."
Along with gritty midfielders, the Warriors' defenders are a strong group of players that are willing to put their bodies on the line to win 50/50 balls and make the hard tackles to stop would-be attacks. The entire group has a knack for communicating and staying organized which is vital at this level of competition. Along with the strong defensive presence, the outside backs have the skills and speed to be involved down the field to pressure opponents.
ECCC has two goalkeepers on the roster, Marcelo Ramirez and Will Walerius. They are fearless in the box and have the ability to communicate with the defenders and keep the back line organized.
The Warriors are a young squad this year with 17 freshmen listed on the roster. These freshmen include Walerius, Ramirez, Mason Horne, Avery Anders, Marsei Helom, Stanley Trzaska, Evan Reape, Karim Swedi, Genesis Martin, Akelius Craft, Juan Rivera, Graham Lewis, Ezekquiel Hernandez, Bladimir Hernandez, Colby Bethany, Cobie Spencer, and Addison Dees. Along with the newcomers, ECCC has seven sophomores in Noah Shockley, Jashil Vithal, Lee Hill, Paxton Anders, Hayden Berray, Avery Liles, and Luke Eads. These sophomores bring their experience from last season to the team and provide leadership and guidance to the freshman players. Key returners include Shockley and Vithal who both earned All-MACCC honors a year ago for their stand-out play as freshmen.
"When you have as many freshmen as we have, you are always looking for your sophomore class to provide that leadership," said Paschal. "Players like Noah Shockley and several others are always pushing the team during training sessions and always reminding the guys of the little details that need to be covered both on and off the field."
Along with new faces on the team, the MACCC as a whole has a new look in 2022 as the conference has eliminated the north and south divisions and changed the playoff structure. All 11 teams will play as one conference with the top seven teams making the postseason. 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 overall winner's home field.
"We always have tried to play cross-divisional games in the past during the season, but this new format adds a lot of parity to the league," said Paschal. "Every game matters even more and goal differential will make a difference this season. This change just means that we have to be even more strategic as a team. This league has come a long way and any team can have their day, which will ultimately lead to some very exciting matches."
Though the team is young, the Warriors have a core group of returning sophomores and a talented roster across the board which provides unprecedented depth to the ECCC lineup. This depth combined with speed, grittiness, and the ability to out-hustle opponents makes the Warriors a dangerous team in the MACCC.
"Making the playoffs is always the goal," said Paschal. "But we are a talented group and we would love to earn a top-four seed and host a playoff game this season. That is where I want this program to be."
Coach Paschal is joined by volunteer assistant coach Tyler White and student-coach Spencer Winans this year.
The Warriors are slated to start the 2022 campaign on Tuesday, August 23, as the Warriors play host to Itawamba at 3 p.m.
