GODFREY – The Lewis and Clark Community College women’s soccer team played their seventh game and got their seventh win and seventh shutout yesterday with their 13-0 win against Maple Woods College in Kansas City.
The team also received a No. 11 ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll yesterday— a move up from their No. 17 pre-season national ranking.
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“We have a talented group of players this year who are dominating offensively,” said head coach Tim Rooney. “We just need to keep up the momentum, stay focused and keep everyone healthy and in the game.”
The Trailblazers also have three players in the top 10 NJCAA rankings.
Tied at No. 1 is sophomore midfielder/forward Miriam Taylor, of Osage Beach, Missouri.
Taylor has 14 goals and eight assists this season and shares the first place spot with Raven Laughridge, of St. Charles Community College.
“It feels good to have our team ranked so high. We are playing really well together. Everyone is unselfish and working hard to score goals.”
Nicole Howard, a freshman forward/midfielder from Rolla, Missouri, is No. 3 with 12 goals and five assists so far this season.
Sophomore midfielder Michelle Pedersen, of Copenhagen, Denmark, is No. 5 in the NJCAA poll earning 10 goals and six assists this season.
Last season, Pedersen earned Second Team All American as a member of the Trailblazers soccer team. She and Taylor both remember how close the team came to going to nationals—within one goal at the district final against St. Louis Community College.
This year they want the scales to tip in their favor.
“It is great to be back playing at Lewis and Clark and great to have a team that is hungry to win this year. I’m ready for that repeat district game where it goes in our favor this year and we earn that national tourney trip.” Pedersen said.
The women started off the season on August 23 with an 11-0 win over Morton College.
The Trailblazers then posted 25 total points in three shutout games at the Minnesota Kickoff Classic at Dakota Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota over Labor Day weekend.
Those wins included 5-0 against Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 9-0 against Dakota County Technical College and 11-0 against Bismarck State College.
On Sept. 6 the women defeated regional opponent Heartland Community College 5-0, and this past Monday defeated another regional opponent Kaskaskia 6-0.
Next up for the team is a trip Saturday to play regional rival Parkland College.
“This will be a good game and a very important game for us,” Taylor said. “Parkland is always challenging, so we will have to work hard.”
For more information on Trailblazers athletics visit http://www.lc.edu/athletics/
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