Women’s soccer falls in the championship game
Mesa Community College’s women’s soccer season came to an end with a loss in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Championship game against Pima Community College.
The Thunderbirds fell to the Pima Aztecs 2-0 Saturday night in Tucson. The Aztecs, coming off of a double overtime victory in the semi-finals against Scottsdale Community College, got off to an aggressive offensive attack which got them on the board early with a goal at the 20-minute mark. They kept the momentum throughout the match, keeping MCC off the board while adding to their lead in the 66th minute.
MCC came off what may have been the biggest upset in the team’s recent history last Tuesday night, as they defeated the No. 1 ranked team coming into the playoffs in Phoenix College. The team was riding an emotional high that may have contributed to their performance against Pima.
“A lot of it has to do with emotion. You play a game on Tuesday… There was a lot of emotion to it to beat the number one seed, and sometimes, you know, it’s hard to get back in the right headspace, and I think that was some of our problems,” said coach Drew Guarneri after the game.
The team got off to a bit of a slow start for the season, starting off 4-6-1 through the first 11 games. However, in the final five games before postseason play began they were able to catch fire, winning 4 out of 5 games. Captain Annabella Bara credits the team’s ability to come together to a special practice.
“There was just one practice where we did kind of a team bonding, and I feel like it brought a lot of us a lot closer,” said Bara. “…Our team chemistry just kind of improved everything else.”
From the beginning of the season, it seemed the odds were stacked against the team. With no season last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a team mainly composed of freshman and sophomores, the T-Birds were able to overcome many challenges.
“I’m super proud of this group. From where we started this season mentally, physically and tactically we’ve come a long way,” said Guarneri. “The group built relationships they’ll never forget.”
Guarneri and his staff not only had a goal to improve his team as players but to help them grow as people.
“Everything we do is teaching life lessons. It’s not just about the game. They’re going to wake up tomorrow even after this loss and still be great people, and that’s more important to me,” said Guarneri.
The team ends with a record of 9-7-2 overall and a conference record of 6-2-2. Four players were named to ACCAC All-Conference teams.. Forwards Annabella Bara and Rylee Rottwiler both made the first team with defender Randie Holmes making the second team, and defender Emma Rich being named an honorable mention.
