Aug. 8, 2024 – With the start of the 2024 regular season nearly two weeks away, the reigning NJCAA Region 23 champion Northwest women’s soccer team is once again starting the season in the national spotlight.
Northwest is ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division II rankings, released Tuesday afternoon. The ranking comes off the heels of a 21-2 finish last season, which included a share of the MACCC title and a return to the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship tournament in Tucson, Ariz.
Several MACCC programs are in the polls, including Jones College at No. 1, sixth-ranked Holmes, Pearl River at No. 14 and 16th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast. Additionally, many opponents on the Lady Rangers’ non-conference slate are also ranked, including Northeast (Neb.) at No. 8, ninth-ranked Southwestern Illinois, No. 10 Heartland and 17th-ranked St. Louis.
Columbia Basin (Wash.), Johnson County (Kan.), Peninsula College (Wash.) and Phoenix College (Ariz.) round out the top five, checking in at second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Meanwhile, the preseason NJCAA poll is expected to be released on Monday, August 12. The Lady Rangers have been a mainstay in those particular rankings for the past two seasons.
Northwest will open the regular season on Saturday, Aug. 24 against Mineral Area College. First kick is slated for 5 P.M. with live coverage on Ranger TV.
