MOHAVE COUNTY – It was a packed house as Mohave Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer took to Firebird Field in Bullhead City for the first-ever home games of the inaugural season on Friday, Aug. 30. Athletic Director and Men’s Head Coach Camilo Valencia says the electric atmosphere provided by the crowd Friday night helped to motivate his squad to a 5-0 victory over Colorado Northwestern Community College.
“It was super exciting to see us running at Firebird with a packed house wearing our Bighorn Red,” Valencia says. “It’s going to be super important for our programs to have the fans behind us, to have that support to put pressure on the other teams. Not everybody has this kind of environment in which to play.”
Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer went into Friday’s game with a 1-1 record, while opponent Colorado Northwestern Community College had notched one win and one tie. After Friday’s win, Men’s Soccer now sits at 2-1 and will start conference play next week on a two-game winning streak.
“I think it was a complete performance,” Valencia says. “We challenged the guys to start strong, and they did. We scored a lot of goals in the first half and everyone who had the opportunity to play did a great job. It shows that it doesn’t matter who goes in because we have a style and we have purpose in what we do.”
Jorge Quintero scored the first goal for the Bighorns off an assist from Misael Meza, with Erik Nava providing the assist to Nolan Garcia’s second goal of the game for the Bighorns. Luis Mario Medina then scored off an assist from Denny Bernal for goal three, and Hunter La Pointe put the ball in the net, unassisted, for the fourth goal of the contest. Aaron Sullivan closed out the scoring for the Bighorns off an assist from Erik Nava, bringing the final score to 5-0.
Bringing the inaugural seasons to fruition was no small endeavor over the past two years, and the same is said of the work that went into Firebird Field to make it the home of the Bighorns. Mohave Community College recognized the hard work and dedication put in by so many Friday night, providing plaques of appreciation to a number of entities and organizations. Those included Bullhead City, Bullhead City Parks and Recreation, the BHHS Legacy Foundation and the Bighorn Booster Club.
“It was a great environment and I loved the fact that we had so many fans come out,” says Robert Podeyn, Women’s Head Coach. “I love everything that has been done to create this special venue and environment for the game of soccer, for the fans, for Bullhead City and for all of Mohave County.”
Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer also hosted Colorado Northwestern Community College Friday night, with a final score of 4-0, Spartans.
“I liked how we played and responded in the last 25 minutes, as we switched some things up and were trying something completely different,” Podeyn says. “It seemed to work for us and I think that’s something to build on. It was so great having all of our fans here to see us and support us. We have great things happening here and we’re ready to make you proud.”
Up next for both squads is the College of Southern Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 7, once again at Firebird Field. Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer kicks off at 6 p.m., and Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer at 8 p.m. These games mark the start of conference play for both squads.
“I think it’s going to turn into a big rivalry because it’s the school that is the closest to us. It’s going to be a fantastic atmosphere and I think they’re going to bring some fans. Let’s make sure we have more red than blue!”
Stay up to date with Mohave Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer at athletics.mohave.edu and Instagram.com. View the photo gallery from Friday’s contests at https://athletics.mohave.edu/sports/msoc/2024-25/photos/0002/index.
Defender Matias Seymour clears the ball for the Bighorns.
Forward Emily Sullivan navigates through defenders. (Courtesy MCC Faculty Beau Rogers)
Mohave Community College recognized the hard work and dedication put in by so many Friday night, providing plaques of appreciation to a number of entities and organizations. Those included Bullhead City, Bullhead City Parks and Recreation, the BHHS Legacy Foundation and the Bighorn Booster Club.