Women's soccer begins NJCAA Tournament pool play tonight

WICHITA, Kansas --- The No. 5 seed Holmes Community College Lady Bulldogs face the No. 9 seed Southwestern Illinois College Blue Storm in the 2021 NJCAA Women's Division II National Tournament pool play at 6:30 p.m. here today.

The Lady Bulldogs come into the match 13-2-2 overall and the MACCC/Region 23 runners-up while the Blue Storm come into the match 15-6 overall and the Region 24 runners-up. Holmes is the at-large team from the Gulf South/South Atlantic district while SWIC is the at large team from the Central/Great Lakes district. SWIC fell to Pima last night 2-0 in their first game of pool play. In the NJCAA's final regular season poll, Holmes ended up No. 3 while SWIC was No. 9.

Holmes is led by sophomore forward Ravynne Wilson of Meridian with 14 goals and seven assists on the season. Other leaders include: freshman forward Callie McKinney of Flowood with seven goals and six assists; freshman forward Sydney Nester of Walker, La. with five goals and four assists; sophomore forward Kaci Craft of Clinton with five goals and two assists; freshman forward Katelin Johnson of Oxford with four goals and four assists and freshman forward Darian Blackburn of Vestavia Hills, Ala. with four goals and one assist.

SWIC is led by sophomore defender/midfielder Sofia Hernandez Cruz of Colombia with 29 goals and 10 assists. Other leaders include: sophomore defender/midfielder Bianca Cortez Perez of Fairmont City, Ill. with 12 goals and eight assists; sophomore forward Maggie Evans of Alton, Ill. with eight goals and five assists; sophomore midfielder Alyssa Tucker of Collinsville, Ill. with five goals and seven assists; and freshman midfielder Maria Siverly of Collinsville, Ill. with five goals and one assist.

The Lady Bulldogs have taken 386 shots on the season with 59 goals scored and 51 assists. Holmes' goalkeepers Layken Stockstill of Vicksburg and Avery Belden of Brandon have given up 17 goals and have 66 saves.

The Blue Storm have taken 364 shots on the season with 75 goals scored and 66 assists. SWIC's goalkeepers Riley Nilges of Florissant, Mo. and Molly Twenhoefel of Freeburg, Ill. have given up 25 goals and have 119 saves.