July 9 – With the first exhibition match now less than a month away, the final countdown is on for the Northwest Lady Rangers’ 2024 squad.
Coach James Beattie has finalized his team’s regular season schedule, as the Lady Rangers prepare to defend their recent NJCAA Region 23 title and make a third straight trip to the NJCAA Division II National Championship tournament.
A total of 12 home matches highlight this year’s slate, including 11 regular season contests. Additionally, five exhibition matches against NCAA programs will dot the schedule throughout the month of August, beginning with a return trip to Arkansas State University on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m.
From there, the Lady Rangers are scheduled to visit Little Rock on Saturday, Aug. 10, marking a reunion with former Lady Ranger midfielder Melinda Hernandez. Northwest will then take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday, Aug. 12, before hosting Delta State on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m., featuring Northwest alums Avery Hooker and Kaley Harden.
Northwest is then scheduled to begin the regular season on Saturday, Aug. 24 against Mineral Area College, followed by a mid-morning matchup with Heartland on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The Lady Rangers will then make the short trip to Memphis to visit Rhodes College in an Aug. 30 exhibition match, before stepping back into the regular season portion of the schedule.
Northwest will welcome Northeast (Neb.) on Labor Day for a 10 a.m. first kick. The match will be the first regular season meeting between the two programs, and only the second meeting all-time, as the two teams faced each other in pool play during the 2022 NJCAA Division II National Championship tournament in Tucson, Ariz.
Following home matches against Southwestern Illinois and St. Louis, the Lady Rangers will face a tough start to MACCC competition, traveling to Jones College on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and East Central on Friday, Sept. 20. Northwest will then host Pearl River on Tuesday, Sept. 24, before visiting Mississippi Gulf Coast on Friday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m.
Following a non-conference match against former Lady Ranger assistant Corey Irvine and National Park College on Oct. 1, Northwest is slated to host Hinds (Oct. 4) and Itawamba (Oct. 8), before taking on Holmes, East Mississippi and Southwest Mississippi in a three-match road swing. The regular season will then end with two home matches against Copiah-Lincoln on Friday, Oct. 25 and Meridian on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Last season, Northwest compiled a 21-2 overall record and a 10-1 mark in MACCC competition, recording the program’s first 20-win season. It also marked the third straight season with 15 or more victories for Beattie, and the program’s fourth postseason appearance in as many years.
All home matches will be carried once again on Ranger TV, with all home conference matches scheduled for 5 p.m.
