The Blinn College women’s soccer team returns this week as the Buccaneers open the 2023 season with heightened expectations.
Ahead of Blinn’s season opener against Dallas College Brookhaven at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, the experienced Buccaneers are aiming for continued improvements.
The Region XIV Conference has split into North and South divisions this season and should remain one of the toughest conferences in the country. Blinn will compete in the South with Angelina College, Jacksonville College, and new NJCAA competitor Texas Southmost College. Tyler Junior College, Navarro College, Trinity Valley Community College, Northeast Texas Community College, and Paris Junior College make up the North.?
“I expect us to challenge for a division title,” second-year Blinn head coach Alexandria Jackson said. “We know each of these teams very well and I think we’re equipped to compete for that top spot.”
Those expectations come with the return of eight sophomores, the addition of four sophomore transfers, and 10 athletic scholarships awarded to the women’s soccer program this season which allowed Jackson a further reach during her recruitment process.
The returning sophomore class includes defenders Emma Orozco Sofia Penning and Bailey Buckner, midfielders Brianna Hoffman and Rileigh Toner, and forwards Emeyda Cruz and Haylee McBride. Joining the Buccaneers by way of transfer are midfielder Eleanor Sargeant (from Division I University of Louisiana-Lafayette), midfielder Karleigh Villanueva (from Motlow State Community College), and two transfers from Angelina College in goalkeeper Emily Quintanilla and forward Paola Brizuela Razo.
(Pictured: Blinn College’s Sofia Penning throws the ball into play during a match against Tyler Junior College in 2022)
“We have a lot of returners on this team that have quality experience from last season,” Jackson said. “They’re bringing that experience to the table. They’re great leaders who lead by example, and we’ve added pieces that make the entire team better as a whole.”
Blinn finished 6-10 overall and 5-9 in region matchups in 2022 to reach the Region XIV Tournament for the third consecutive season. From that group, the Buccaneers return their top two goal scorers in Cruz (six goals with two assists) and Hoffman (four goals and one assist). Buckner served up a team-best four assists last season. On defense, Blinn will search for a new goalkeeper, with Quintanilla and freshmen Cheiann George and Madison Ortiz in the mix for the job.
The Buccaneers got a chance to see their new squad in action during a scrimmage against Division I Prairie View A&M University on Aug. 9 and earned a 2-0 victory.
“There is chemistry building in this program, and our relationships on and off the field are growing,” Penning said. “I think those bonds will continue to grow with each game and help us build on the great talent we have here.”
Orozco said the influx of 19 freshmen should boost Blinn’s performance this season, noting that the team’s newest players have demonstrated a desire to prove they belong.
(Pictured: Blinn College’s Emma Orozco, 12, battles for the ball during a match against Tyler Junior College in 2022)
“They want to learn and contribute, and it’s our job as sophomores who have been through this already to guide them through that process,” Orozco said. “We want everyone on this team to play a part because it’s going to take everybody here to get to where we want to be.”
The Bucs will face each North team once this season while battling each of its South foes twice – once at home and once on the road. Region play will consist of five matches against North opponents, beginning with a road trip to Navarro at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1. Blinn will battle its first South opponent when it visits Angelina at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22.
“I’ve been telling my team that the season is a marathon, not a sprint,” Jackson said. “Last season, we came out sprinting and started 3-0 but hit a bit of a wall. This season, we want to focus on going 1-0 in practice every day and 1-0 in games. Our focus right now is Brookhaven on August 18, and we’ll take things day-by-day and week-by-week from there.”?
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 43 NJCAA national championships since 1987.?
