With each new year, the Moraine Valley Community College women’s soccer team improves and yields more success. The latest season was no exception to this trend.
The Cyclones took fourth place in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference with a 3-2-1 record and finished 7-4-3 overall after losing in the NJCAA Region 4 quarterfinals. Although they would have liked to play deeper into the playoffs, injuries plagued most of the team, leaving just four players at 100% at the end of the season. Sophomore team captain, Olivia Jeziorczak (Richards), was among several teammates who suffered injuries near the end of October.
In their first round of playoffs with Prairie State College, a team they defeated 4-1 earlier in the season, Moraine Valley tied and won on penalty kicks in the second overtime. Following the match, the team only had two days of rest before the quarterfinal game with College of Lake County (a team they tied with in mid-September), where they were shut out.
Despite the earlier than desired finish, Head Coach Javier Roman, in his second season leading the program, was pleased with the overall effort.
“We might have been tired at the end, but it was a good season. We had a lot of good memories. I’m happy with every single player,” he said.
Throughout the season, several sophomores stepped up, including Jeziorczak (a.k.a. O.J.) at midfield, Emily Chavez (Reavis) and Dominica Villasenor (Solorio Academy) on defense and goalkeeper Ximena Delgado (Shepard), who averaged 7.46 saves per game.
Although it took some time for the freshmen to adjust, a few newcomers played key roles on the field, including midfielder Camila Barragan (Chicago Hope Academy), forward Heather Canny (Lockport) and midfield/defenders Lesly Echavarrieta (Argo), Jasmine Juache (Reavis) and Alyssa Juarez (Reavis), a.k.a. A.J.
“O.J. and Heather led on the field. Heather was one of the hardest workers I’ve seen and did anything the coaches asked. When she had the ball, she knew what to do. Dominica improved so much from last year. She took a beating on defense. Juache, A.J., Camila and Lesly were good players. Emily was feisty on the field,” Roman said. “Ximena grew so much these two years and had more confidence. She did whatever we needed. She was always there, talking to players and supporting the team. She played some big games against Morton and Madison, and I was really happy with her performance.”
For their efforts, Barragan, Canny, Jeziorczak and Villasenor each earned All-Conference and All-Region honors. Delgado earned All-Conference.
Roman is in recruiting mode, but eager to see Barragan, Canny, Juache and Juarez return next year for even more success. A handful of sophomores are transferring to four-year colleges and universities where they’ll continue their soccer careers.
“It was a great season, and I’m looking forward to recruiting and hope we do even better next year,” Roman said.
For updates on Cyclones Athletics, visit mvcyclones.com.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
