CCSN women's soccer team looks to improve

The Community College of Southern Nevada women's soccer team should improve in its second season, head coach Ric Grenell said.

The Coyotes, who feature 20 local players, are slated to take on Pima Community College (Ariz.) at 7 p.m. Friday, in the second of their 14 home games at the North Las Vegas Cheyenne Sports Complex, which is adjacent to the college's Cheyenne Campus.

"Coming off our initial building year, where we started from scratch, I expect this season's Coyote women's soccer team will be extremely competitive," said Grenell, who was the head coach at Gonzaga University for seven years and has also served as Nevada's state director of coaching for the U.S. Youth Soccer Program the past three years.

Returning sophomores from the Coyotes' inaugural 2000 team include strikers Claire Howard (Clark High School) and Amber Woodward (Bishop Gorman); fullbacks Angel Lewis (Valley), Melyssa Recchio (Bonanza) and Sarah Watson (Cheyenne); midfielders Dawn De La Torre (Gorman), Desiree Martinez (Valley) and Marissa Stevens (Palo Verde); and goalkeeper Kelly Smith (Cimarron-Memorial).

Amanda Hafen, also a sophomore, joins the team after playing her freshman year at Dixie College.

Freshmen on the squad include strikers Shelly Christian (Cheyenne) and Amy Clark (Bonanza); fullbacks Jessica Lund, Nikki Sears and Angelina Twasta (all from Cheyenne); midfielders Tara Brosnahan and Tara Jones (both from Durango), Rachel Ellis (Mojave) and Stacy Fulton (Silverado); and goalkeeper Jeanette Perry (Bonanza).

The Coyotes compete in the 11-member Scenic West Athletic Conference. They're slated to play host to Dixie College (St. George, Utah), the defending National Junior College Athletic Association champion, at 8 p.m. Sept. 6 and at 8 p.m. Sept. 14.

Other home games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday against Victor Valley Community College; 8 p.m. Sept. 7 against Mount San Antonio College (Calif.); 8 p.m. Sept. 8 against Ventura Community College (Calif.); 10:30 a.m. Sept. 16 against Santa Rosa Junior College (Calif.); 7 p.m. Sept. 19 against DeAnza College (Calif.); 7 p.m. Sept. 21 against DeAnza College; 7 p.m. Sept. 22 against Cochise College (Ariz.); 7 p.m. Oct. 5 against Snow College (Utah); 7 p.m. Oct. 6 against Snow College; and 6 p.m. Oct. 13 against Los Angeles Harbor College.