MOHAVE COUNTY – It was a season of continuous improvement for Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer, with each subsequent match on the schedule showcasing the squad’s hard work and determination. Now, Women’s Head Coach Robert Podeyn says the Bighorns have the talent and experience needed to compete for a spot in the playoffs come 2025.
The inaugural season of Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer saw the Bighorns compete in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) against some of the best teams in not only Region 1 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), but the country as a whole. Those opponents included Arizona Western College, ranked fourth in the country, as well as fifteenth-ranked Cochise College.
Podeyn says coaching staff and players were on the same page at the beginning of the season with respect to areas on which they aimed to develop and grow, both as a team and as individuals, in order to compete in the ACCAC. That educational aspect was one of Podeyn’s focuses this season, helped along by the hard work and determination of his squad.
“Our players understood where we were when we started but also had aspirations beyond that as far as wanting to be successful,” Podeyn says. “So, through the season we saw a lot of individual growth with players just getting so much better. With that, we saw our team performance get better.”
The Bighorns finished the season 2-11-2 overall and 2-8-2 in conference play. Their schedule saw them play in-conference teams twice, one game at home and the other on the road, including against those squads that were nationally ranked. Podeyn says it was in those matches that the program’s week-to-week improvement was on true display.
“We scored more goals and allowed fewer goals in the second half of the season,” Podeyn says. “We got better individually and we improved considerably as a team. That really left the ladies with a lot of hope and promise moving forward for the spring.”
For example, the first matchup against nationally-ranked Cochise College resulted in a 9-0 loss for Mohave Community College. However, the next time the squads played one another, the Bighorns held Cochise to four goals while knocking back one of their own.
“When I look at the pieces we have, we have strong goalkeeping, a great group of players on defense and a lot of good pieces in the midfield,” Podeyn says. “We have a goal scorer, which is ridiculously hard to find, and complementary pieces on attack. But we need more and we’re working on that now. Overall, even though the record didn’t reflect it, this was a positive experience and a great season overall for growth and potential.”
A big part of that experience was the fans, as Podeyn believes the Bighorns had the best playing environment in the conference this season.
“There was none better, from the facility at which we played to the fans and spectators out there supporting us,” Podeyn says. “It’s like having a twelfth player on the field and really is invaluable. We loved their support and it makes the games that much more meaningful for our players. Having that fan base there to support, encourage and inspire us goes a long way.”
Podeyn was sure to recognize the support of Kelly Burgess, who was the first to suggest the creation of College soccer programs to MCC President Dr. Stacy Klippenstein. Podeyn also expressed his gratitude to Dr. Klippenstein, the MCC Booster Club and MCC staff. That includes Chef Alana Johnson, MCC Culinary Arts faculty, whom Podeyn says kept the players not only fed, but fed well.
“I’m excited about the future for Mohave Community College and look forward to getting started in the spring, working with players to help them improve individually,” Podeyn says. “It’s going to take us some time to reach the top spots in our conference, but I think we can start closing that gap in the spring and definitely next fall.”
Stay up to date with Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer at athletics.mohave.edu and Instagram.com/MohaveWSoccer.
