OTTUMWA, IA – While they would have preferred to have taken the surer route there, in the end, the trip will be made.
After a week of uncertainty, the suspense came to an end for the 2020-21 Indian Hills Women’s Soccer team as the Warriors will, for the first time in school history, be participating in the NJCAA Division I Soccer Championships. After having several teams in recent years fall just short, this year’s squad will vie for the National Championship via an at large bid that was extended this morning by the NJCAA, placing IHCC in the 12-team field for next week’s tournament to be held in Evans, Georgia.
“It’s truly special to be the first team in program history to get to the National Tournament,” said an elated IHCC Head Coach Anthony Longo after learning his team received one of just three at large selections to go alongside the nine automatic bids. “It’s something no one can ever take from us, and this team has special place in the school’s history. But we aren’t satisfied with just getting there. The goal is to win it all, and that’s our mentality.”
“We are thrilled to have been selected as an at-large bid. We really felt like our body of work throughout the season was enough to get us in, and we were rewarded. As a coach, I couldn’t be prouder of what this group has accomplished. There were a lot of ups and downs throughout the regular season, but the ladies’ work rate and effort never changed. They have earned this opportunity.”
The tourney field is divided into four three-team pools that will each produce one semifinalist. The Warriors were awarded the eight-seed and were paired with top-seeded and defending National Champion Tyler Junior College (TX), as well as the 12th-seed, Spartanburg Methodist (SC). The Warriors (11-2-1) will open play on Friday, June 4 at 9 a.m. against Spartanburg’s Pioneers (6-2) before squaring off with the No. 1 Apaches (14-0) on Saturday at 9 a.m.
“It will be great to see two new teams. Spartanburg Methodist will be a tricky first matchup for us as we don’t know much about them, but they are a top team to have won their district. Any team that can get down there is good, so we have to be ready to go right away,” Longo added.
Tyler JC has made an appearance in the last four NJCAA National Title games, winning two of the four, including the last time the NJCAA crowned a champion on November 23, 2019 in Melbourne, Florida with a 4-1 win over then No. 1-rated Monroe (NY) to finish 22-1.
“There can be no better opportunity than to go toe-to-toe with the champ,” Longo said. “Tyler Junior College has been the standard for women’s soccer. It will be a true test and we are excited for it.”
The Warriors will continue their preparation that has been ongoing since dropping the Region XI title game to rival Iowa Western 1-0 nine days ago in Council Bluffs. The Reivers earned an automatic bid by defeating Lewis & Clark (IL) in the District Final, 3-1. Iowa Western is the No. 5 seed and was paired with 4th-seeded Snow (UT) and 9th-seeded Monroe (NY) for pool play.
“Our mentality all along was that we had earned our way in, and that we needed to prepare as such,” Longo said. “Now that it’s official, the first step is June 4th against Spartanburg Methodist and we can’t wait to get it started.”