MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer will be back in action at Bullhead City’s Firebird Field on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to host Phoenix College. Both Phoenix College squads are ranked nationally in the Top 5 in Division II, with Mohave Community College head coaches saying two great matchups are in store for fans.
Men’s Soccer’s matchup against Phoenix College will be the first time the Bighorns host a nationally-ranked squad at Firebird Field.
“They’re Division II but they’re undefeated and have done an amazing job this season,” says Men’s Head Coach Camilo Valencia. “They’re always well coached and have good players. It’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of focus to get the win, but our guys have been playing well. We’re getting results in different ways and this is another opportunity to learn about the team and perform in a big game.”
Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer is coming off a close game against Eastern Arizona College on Saturday, Sept. 21, falling 2-1.
“It was a tough game,” Valencia says. “It was the first time we didn’t score the first goal and our team responded very, very well. Road games are always tough because of travel but we were only a few minutes away from the result we wanted, as with a few minutes left, we had a good chance to win 2-1. But that’s college soccer; you have to play to the whistle. Unfortunately, we lost the game with 30 seconds to go.”
Now, Men’s Soccer will host a team that is, as of Monday afternoon, ranked second in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for Division II.
“The difference between Division I and Division II has nothing to do with skill level,” Valencia says. “There are some different factors that come into play when it comes to the difference between the divisions, but the top teams in Division II can compete with anyone at any level.”
That means the Bighorns will be looking to the fans to help make Firebird Field a tough place to play for the opposition.
“We’re perfect at home right now,” Valencia says. “We’re three-for-three. Tuesday is going to take, again, everything we have to win. Our fans are going to be crucial for that.”
Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer also has a tough opponent in Phoenix College, currently ranked third in the NJCAA for Division II.
“Phoenix College is coming in undefeated and they get a lot of quality players,” says Women’s Head Coach Robert Podeyn. “But we’re not going to worry about them, we’re going to worry about us. We’re going to focus on our game and our system, and doing what we want to do. If we stay focused in our game and the way we want to play, we have the chance to win any game we play.”
Podeyn says the matchup is further evidence that his squad has one of the toughest schedules in the country, with four of the Bighorns’ five losses coming from nationally-ranked teams. Women’s Soccer is coming off a 3-1 loss to No. 20 Eastern Arizona College on Saturday.
“I was proud of our performance and thought we did well,” Podeyn says. “We stuck with our game plan and as a result, we played one of the top teams in the country to a two-goal game. We’re constantly improving, all while being in the toughest part of our schedule.”
Podeyn also hopes to see a herd of Bighorn fans in the bleachers on Tuesday, saying that Phoenix College, while Division II, is a strong team capable of beating four-year schools.
“It’s our home ground and we love playing there,” Podeyn says. “Having a large fan base out there really helps us and energizes us to play our best. We love being part of the community and we want them to be part of us.”
Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer kicks off first at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, followed by Mohave Community College Women’s Soccer at 7 p.m.
Stay up to date with Mohave Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer at athletics.mohave.edu and Instagram.com.
Mohave Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer will be back in action at Bullhead City’s Firebird Field on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to host Phoenix College.