Moraine Valley women's soccer competes at nationals for first time

Making a first ever appearance at the NJCAA Women’s Division I Soccer Championship tournament in Florida was a goal for the Moraine Valley Community College women’s soccer team—one they realized Nov. 16. They played their hearts out and came home with an amazing experience.

Seeded 11th in the tournament, the Cyclones started their run at nationals on Eastern Florida College’s fields against second-seed Tyler Junior College. Going into this first game, Moraine Valley knew this wouldn’t be easy. Barely 17 minutes into the game, keeper Kaylyn Egyarto (Sandburg) suffered an injury that took her out of the game and put Lauren Regan (Mother McAuley) between the posts. Cyclone defense was tough, and they frustrated Tyler for nearly 24 minutes before giving up a goal. By the end, Moraine Valley took the 4-0 loss. “We frustrated them and we competed,” said head Coach Al Palar.

The following day the Cyclones faced the defending national champions and seventh-seed Monroe College, which had yet to play. Moraine Valley was working with fatigue coupled with blazing sun and heat. Even after being down 5-0 at halftime, the Cyclones never gave up. “We told them it was 45 minutes left in the season so they should go out and work their tails off,” Palar said. In the last 15 minutes of the game, Bella Rodriguez (Kelly) scored twice, ending their run in the tournament with the 5-2 loss.

“Those two goals were huge for morale. We played well in the second half. It was good to come away with at least two goals,” Palar added. “The results weren’t ideal, but we competed. It’s always going to be tough against teams that are there every year. A lot of these girls aren’t used to playing such high competition. This was not a one-sided tournament. We knew it was a tough task, but we stuck to our game plan.”

Being in the “group of death,” or the pool with some of the tournament’s strongest competitors, shows what the Cyclones faced. Every Cyclone had some time on the field and can say they competed at nationals.

“As a freshman, it was intimidating to be there, but nice to represent our team and where we came from and prove we can compete at the national level,” said Dalila Alcala (Eisenhower). “It was hard, but we defended well and competed. It was hard to attack, but we did the best we could. Everyone had the mindset to do our best and not roll over.”

Overall that first trip to nationals was a success.

“The players were very professional on and off the field. It was an unbelievable experience. Eye-opening. It was a very successful trip,” Palar said. “Those two days taught me and the girls a lot. I learned a lot for next year. That’s the plan: to be back here next year.”