Northwest soccer teams roll past East Mississippi in MACCC openers

Photo: Chase Michael of Northwest works with the ball during a preseason scrimmage against Wallace State. (Brian Oakley/nwccrangers.com)

SENATOBIA, Miss. — Northwest Mississippi Community College soccer opened MACCC play in dominant fashion Tuesday, with the men’s team earning a 5-2 home win over East Mississippi and the top-ranked women’s team cruising to a 12-0 victory.

Men’s Match: Rangers Spread the Scoring

Five different players found the net for the Rangers in the men’s match, a balanced attack that set the tone for conference play. Tendai Machingura struck first in the eighth minute, and Chase Michael followed with goals in the 23rd and 29th minutes to keep Northwest in control.

Although East Mississippi answered twice on set pieces, Ariel Vallejo and Tyler Starnes each added second-half goals to secure the 5-2 win.

“We fought hard and we found the back of the net,” head coach Michael Sullivan said. “Everybody did their job in a team effort and I’m extremely excited about it.”

Goalkeeper Jacob Little recorded four saves as Northwest outshot the Lions 24-6. The Rangers improved to 3-2-2 overall and 1-0 in MACCC play.

Women’s Match: Perkins Leads 12-Goal Barrage

The No. 1-ranked Northwest women’s team dominated from start to finish, posting its largest offensive output of the season. Freshman Caroline Perkins tallied five goals and two assists, including a six-minute hat trick in the second half.

Olivia Miller, Emma Jensen, Joline Knevel, Caroline Hamm and Amiyah Baker also contributed to a first-half outburst that made it 7-0 at the break. Knevel added her second goal in the 68th minute to cap the 12-0 shutout.
Northwest outshot East Mississippi 48-0, with 23 shots on goal and 10 corner kicks. Goalkeepers Ann Marie Barton and Darby Woolver combined for the clean sheet.

“It’s not just important to get a win but also important to keep a clean sheet,” coach James Beattie said. “We’re taking it one game at a time and not getting ahead of ourselves.”

What’s Next

Both Ranger squads return to action Friday at Hinds Community College. The men will face the 10th-ranked Eagles, while the women take on a 6-1 Lady Eagles squad that dropped its MACCC opener to No. 3 Jones College.