WICHITA, Kansas – Emma Jensen delivered a dramatic penalty kick in the 89th minute, completing a stunning late comeback to lead the Northwest Mississippi Community College women’s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Heartland Community College in the NJCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday. The victory secured the Rangers’ second consecutive national title.
Trailing 1-0 late in the match, the No. 3-ranked Rangers (21-1-1) faced long odds against No. 4 Heartland (17-4-1). Heartland’s Valeria Agudelo had broken the deadlock in the 49th minute. However, the Rangers, who outshot the Hawks 10-1 in the first half but failed to score, maintained their offensive pressure in the second half.
The breakthrough finally came with just over three minutes left. Caroline Perkins slipped a pass to Jensen, who found enough space to net the equalizer with 3:10 remaining, tying the score at 1-1.
“That’s the best way you can win, isn’t it,” Head Coach James Beattie said of the comeback. “Three minutes to go, you’re down one-nil, and by the end of the game you’re two-one up. The fight and determination got us through and I’m so proud.”
The Decisive Moment
The game-winning opportunity arose just over a minute later. Perkins was fouled inside the box, setting up a crucial penalty kick for Jensen.
Jensen, the program’s all-time leading scorer, calmly stepped up to take what she called “one of the most important shots I’ve ever taken.”
Following her pre-shot routine, she looked left and struck the ball to the right, sealing the 2-1 victory for the Rangers.
The final whistle secured the program’s second national championship and Head Coach Beattie’s 100th career victory.
“I think it was one of the most important shots I’ve ever taken,” Jensen said. “But we practice penalties, so I was confident going into it.”
The win cements Northwest Mississippi as a national powerhouse. They are the only team to win back-to-back NJCAA Division II titles since the division’s creation in 2020. Jensen’s remarkable career concludes with the Rangers holding a dominant 43-1-1 record over her two seasons.
“Jensen is the best player I’ve ever coached by a country mile,” Beattie said. “Having her end it for us is poetic.”
Emma Jensen strikes her penalty kick in the 89th minute of the National Championship match on the way to a 2-1 win over Heartland Community College. (Caleb Burggraf/nwccrangers.com)
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
