Revenge is sweet! - Women’s soccer team takes home NJCAA Region 1 Championship
The Mesa Lady Thunderbirds soccer team is looking to do what only two teams before them have done.
After beating Cisco Junior College in a 1-0 overtime thriller in Texas on Nov. 4, the women have earned a birth in the National tournament which begins later this week in Albany, Georgia.
A National Championship victory would make the Lady Thunderbirds only the third women’s team in MCC history to earn such an honor.
The Thunderbirds earned their match with Texas after winning the ACCAC season title with a championship game victory over Paradise Valley Community College on Oct. 28.
The Pumas had given the Thunderbirds fits all season. In their first match of the season PV defeated Mesa 1-0, knocking the Thunderbirds out of their number two national ranking they carried at the time. Then, a week before the championship game, Paradise Valley again knocked off MCC 2-0 in the regular season finale, giving PV home field advantage in the playoffs.
“It felt so good to finally beat them,” said Krista Mirabelli of the Lady Thunderbird soccer team.
The team refused to be shaken and carried with them the same confidence that had earned the team a 12-2-2 record during the regular season. The T-Birds and coach Tim Barmettler figured out what Paradise Valley had done in the previous two matchups against the Pumas and found an answer.
“They were double marking us a lot in the first two games making it hard to get open,” said Mirabelli.
“We concentrated a lot more on short passes and controlling the pace of the game rather than long passes up ahead,” added freshman Celene Molera, who leads the Thunderbirds in assists.
Midway through the second half, with the score still knotted at zero, MCC forward Andrea Evans snuck the ball past Paradise Valley goalkeeper Dani Guest to give Mesa the only scoring it would need to prevail.
“After that goal, it was very tense for the rest of the game,” said Mirabelli and Molera. “We just kept trying to clear the ball out of our end.”
Monique Wells, as she had been all season long, was solid in the goal for the Thunderbirds, shutting them out for the first time in three tries.
Coach Bartmettler remarked that he was confident his team would do well against Paradise Valley.
“We have really come together as a team right now. Freshman have matured at the right time and we have a lot of confidence,” said Bartmettler.
On Nov. 4, the Lady Thunderbirds, behind a goal from Cammie Kellar, defeated Cisco Junior College 1-0. The team will play its first game of the tournament on Nov. 16.
Krista Mirabelli and the Lady Thunderbirds avenge two earlier season losses to rival Paradise Valley, beating them 1-0 to take the ACCAC Title. After beating Cisco Junior College on Nov. 4, MCC is now headed to Georgia to compete in the National Tournament.
Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Bush and the Mesa Lady Thunderbird soccer team hoist their trophy after winning the Arizona Community College Athletic Association Championship over rival Paradise Valley. The Lady T-Birds went on to defeat Cisco Junior College on Nov. 4 to advance to the National Tournament in Albany, Ga. The team will begin their quest for the National Championship on Nov. 16. For the full story of the girls soccer team see Sports.
Andrea Evans celebrates her goal against Paradise Valley. The goal was the lone score of the contest and gave the T-birds the 1-0 victory.
Photos by Scott Seligman - Mesa Legend