Women's Soccer

PREVIEW: WARRIORS SET FOR SOUTHERN TRIP

PREVIEW: WARRIORS SET FOR SOUTHERN TRIP
Posted: Sep 04, 2024

Pensacola, FL – The Indian Hills Women's Soccer team is set to hit the road for a pair of nonconference matchups. The Warriors will travel to Pensacola, FL to take on Pensacola State College (FL) and Raymond, MS to take on Hinds Community College (MS).

DETAILS

Indian Hills vs. Pensacola State

  • Thursday, September 5
  • 5:00 PM CDT
  • Pensacola, FL  |  Ashton Borsnaham Park
  • Live Video

Indian Hills vs. Hinds

  • Saturday, September 7
  • 6:00 PM CDT
  • Raymond, MS  |  Tom Shepherd Field
  • Live Video

The Indian Hills Women's Soccer squad will venture outside of the state of Iowa for the first time this season with a 3-1-0 record in tow. The Warriors will travel roughly 2,000 miles to take on the Pensacola State Pirates and the Bulldogs of Hinds, the first meeting against each opponent in school history.

PITCH NOTES

The Warriors hit the road following back-to-back lopsided wins away from their home pitch, but this week's contests mark Indian Hills' longest road trip during the coach Jon Hussak era.

  • Indian Hills has tallied 10 goals in its last two matches, a 5-0 win over Western Nebraska Community College in Council Bluffs, IA and a 5-1 victory over Southeastern Community College in Burlington, IA.
  • Through four contests, the Warriors own a 0.75 goals against average, one of just six teams in the nation to allow less than a goal a game through four at least four matches.
  • Seven different players have tallied a goal for the Warriors this year, including five with at least two goals.
  • Pensacola and Hinds will serve as the Warriors' fifth and sixth opponents from a different state this year, matchups that include teams from Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa.
  • Dating back to the 2010 season, Indian Hills is 1-0 vs. teams from the state of Mississippi, an 11-0 win over East Central College (MS) in 2021.
  • Thursday's matchup vs. Pensascola state will be the Warriors' first all-time meeting vs. a team from the state of Florida.

WARRIORS TO WATCH

  • Sophomore María Melendez has stood tall in net for the Warriors to open up her sophomore campaign. The returning All-Region performer from a year ago owns a 0.57 goals against average with 14 saves. Melendez was tapped as last week's ICCAC Athlete of the Week.
  • Arnicka Louis and Rachel Okoro lead the Warrior offensive with a team-high eight points a piece (3g, 2a). All eight of Louis' points have come in the last two matches while Okoro has scored a goal in three of the four matches this year.
  • Sophomore Alexia Bru has once again taken control of the midfield for the Warriors. An All-Region selection as a freshman, Bru has tallied a pair of goals to open the new year.
  • Sophomore Maika Nchana and Kiara Levac has proven to be threats atop the offense for the Warriors, combining for 10 points this year. Levac currently ranks fifth in the nation with 24 shots on the year.
  • Defensively, Mayo Kawashima, Aubree Boyd, and Rheala Herrera have helped limit the Warrior opposition to just three goals allowed this year, including two shutouts.

HUSSAK'S NOTES

"We start the two separate long road trips starting this weekend," stated head coach Jon Hussak. "Beginning with Florida and Mississippi and into Tennessee next weekend. I think it's really important we get comfortable playing on the road and understanding how to perform at our best with the obstacle of a bus ride and not being at home."

"It's nice to play at home and be in front out our fans and GoHillsTV, but you build character and personality as a team when you are grinding it on the road. I want our players to be close and to lean on each other to get through anything that comes their way."

"Going to be fun playing a very new program but quality program in Pensacola State. Coach Yepishin and I were on staff together at UWF a few years back and has a very good coaching style. Heading to Hinds, they just had a good result against a four-year school at home, so they will be looking to press forward, and Coach Kazery, who does a fantastic job with her teams, is also a friend of mine and was an assistant at UWA during my time in the GSC."

SCOUTING THE PIRATES

Pensascola State is off to a 1-3-0 start on the year with four competitive matches.

  • Three of the four contests for the Pirates have been decided by one goal, including a 2-1 win at No. 10 nationally ranked (DII) Pearl River Community College.
  • Pensacola State has square off against three teams already that appear in this week's national rankings.
  • The Pirates are in just their second year of existence after posting a 5-4-2 record last year, falling in the NJCAA South Atlantic District Championship. Mark Yepishin is in his second full season as head coach of the program.
  • Through four games this year, Eda Doganarrslan has posted a team-high three points (1g, 1a) for the Pirates.
  • Remy Redmon and Sidney Roest have shared time in net, combining for a 2.00 goals against average on the year along with a .833 save percentage.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

Hinds will head into Saturday's contest against the Warriors with a 1-2-1 overall record.

  • The Bulldogs picked up their first win of the year in their most recent outing, a 2-0 win over Bellhaven University.
  • Indian Hills will be Hinds' third NJCAA DI opponent of the year, a slate that includes Motlow State Community College and Columbia State Community College, both District foes of the Warriors.
  • Emma Sutterfield has posted two goals on the year to lead the Bulldogs.
  • Jocelyn Hepler has played a majority of the minutes in net for Hinds, posting a .706 save percentage in 143:00 of action.
  • Hinds is under the direction of first-year head coach Lydia Kazery.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Warriors will make another out-of-state trek next week with a trip to Murfreesboro, TN. Indian Hills will head to Motolow State Community College to take on Harford Community College at 1:00 PM on September 13 and an 11:00 AM date with Motlow State on September 15.

HOW TO WATCH

As always, GoHillsTV provides free live broadcasts of Indian Hills Women's Soccer matches. Fans can tune in a number of ways all season long:

  • Facebook: visit www.facebook.com/gohillstv
  • GoHillsTV App: Download the GoHillsTV app on your android or ios device
  • Website: https://www.gohillstv.com/browse to catch all live and archived information
  • Roku Streaming Device:  Have a Roku TV or streaming stick? Download the GoHillsTV app to start streaming today!

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