The Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team will open the 2024-25 soccer season on Thursday when they host Utah State-Eastern at the Landers Soccer Complex with plenty of optimism for a strong season.
The Cougar women will begin the doubleheader at 10 a.m. at the home soccer complex with the Cougar men facing Utah State-Eastern at 12 noon.
The Cougar women will then host Northwest College on Friday at 10 a.m. followed by the men’s contest.
Sophomore Lisbeth Barrera, a defender from Aurora, Colorado, who earned All-Region defensive honors a year ago, said the team is ready to get the season going.
“This team has been working hard,” Barrera said. “We have a few things to work on before Thursday, but we are ready to win, play hard, and play together.”
A year ago, the Cougars finished with a 4-7-3 record before losing Laramie County Community College in the first-round of the Region IX tournament 3-0. Utah State-Eastern enters the season opener after finishing last season with a 9-4-2 record, falling to Snow College 3-1 in the Region IX 18 first round. Barrera said they are preparing for the home-opener and season-opener on Thursday.
“We are preparing with some film this week,” Barrera said.
The Cougar women open the season with plenty of talent with nine players back from a year ago along with 10 freshmen on the team.
The returners that saw action a year ago include starting goalkeeper Emily Villagomez from Aurora, Colorado, along with her twin cousins Maria and Ashley Villagomez from Campeche, Mexico.
While Barrera returns on defense, the team also has Alejandra Rodriguez of Quitor, Ecuador, returning on defense.
The offense will be highlighted by returners Ariel Veliz of Wellington, Colorado, Yasmin Urbina of Brush, Colorado, Valentina Cueva of Lima, Peru, and Jade Brothwell of Torrington, Wyoming.
Urbina played just four matches a year ago scoring three goals before tearing her ACL. Brothwell red-shirted a year ago.
The freshmen class has plenty of depth with Dory Jenson of Ogden, Utah, coming in as a goalkeeper. The freshmen are led by plenty of other players that will see plenty of playing time.
The other newcomers include Scottsbluff’s Mariah Russel, Millie Selfe of England, Allison Hernandez of Colorado, Audrey Gosvener of Cassville, Missouri, Rachel Riordan of Acworth, Georgia, Amanda Duarte of Tangara da Serra, Brazil, Danae Montalvo of Ecuador, Tanner Nelson of Loveland, Colorado, and Karen Casas of Evans, Colorado.
Barrera said this team has all the makings of making a deep run into the post season with a talented squad.
“Everyone is talented and has their own attributes to bring to the team,” she said. “We are very excited to get the season started. We want to win and be champions. This is the season to look out for us for sure.”
The Cougar women last won the Region IX title in 2008, which was their second title. The first came in 2003, the first year of the soccer program.
After this week’s home games, the Cougars will be on the road for their next four games when they travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa, August 30-31 to face pre-season No. 1 ranked Iowa Western Community College and Indian Hills Community College. WNCC will then travel to face Snow College on September 4 before facing it’s first Region IX game Western Wyoming Community College on September. The Cougars will return home to face No. 16 Casper College on September 13.
