Ottumwa -- Melissa Shepherd, a defender/midfielder from Rockingham, Western Australia, has signed to play soccer for the IHCC women's team.

In her soccer career, Shepherd has played for Rockingham City, NTC (National Training Centre), Balcatta FC and State Schoolgirls Western Australia. She played on state teams in five of the last six years, was the MVP for Balcatta FC in 2015 and has been awarded the Seb Nye Memorial Trophy for outstanding soccer performance. The IHCC signee was also given the player of the tournament award while playing for the State Schoolgirls Western Australia team, was chosen for the Australian schoolgirls team and played on a squad that won the bronze medal at the Pacific School Games last year.

Shepherd says she's excited about the chance to play at Indian Hills, saying "I believe Indian Hills Community College will give me a quality education, while offering me an amazing opportunity to play football under a top quality coach in a high division." She says "playing top quality football in America with a very welcoming team and coach" convinced her to sign with the Warriors.

IHCC coach Steph Gale says Shepherd brings every aspect of what she is looking for in a player to the IHCC team. "On the field Mel is a talented and fearless player who will do whatever it takes to protect her backline," according to the Indian Hills coach. "She brings height and a great athletic build, along with speed. All three of those components together should make for an exciting time for the Warriors defense. The style of soccer we play is one where we love to attack from the back. Mel has the ability to connect on strong passes under pressure which, in turn, can lead us to counter attack."

Coach Gale says Shepherd will fit in with her IHCC teammates off the field as well. "Mel is outgoing and bubbly. Her parents are originally from Manchester, England, and Mel was born in Australia. This should be a very rare and rewarding experience for her because we are returning four players from the Manchester area in England. Our program prides itself on the family atmosphere we have. We don't look to just bring in top talent, but are excited to bring in great families who support us, too."

The IHCC women compiled a 10-7-1 record last fall, the most wins in school history. They earned a berth in the semifinals of the postseason conference tournament. Six of their seven losses were to teams ranked in the top ten nationally.