THE MOTLOW State women’s soccer team ended the most successful season in program history with a pair of 3-0 losses in the NJCAA women’s soccer championship held in Evans, Georgia.
The Bucks (16-5) won their second consecutive Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) regular season championship and their second straight National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VII tournament title. Motlow then advanced to the NJCAA Southeast District championship game, where the Bucks beat South Georgia State College 1-0 to advance to their second consecutive NJCAA national tournament.
Seeded at No. 12 in the tournament, the Bucks fell to No. 1 Tyler Junior College and No. 8 Barton Community College.
The head coach of the Bucks, Andy Lyon, was named Coach of the Year for the TCCAA regular season, the Region VII tournament, and the Southeast District.
“The players deserve all of the accolades they received this season,” said Lyon. “We knew during the preseason that this team was going to be a fun team to watch. If people did not get to see them in action, just know they played the game the way it should be played, and they were a pleasure to coach.”
Kristen Gasaway, a sophomore from Clarksville, earned second-team NJCAA All-American and Player of the Year honors for the TCCAA regular season and was named Most Valuable Player for the Region VII tournament. Gasaway is the second person in program history to be named All-American and the first to be second-team. Classmate Cheyenne Watson was named Honorable Mention last season.
Named to the first-team All-TCCAA team for the regular season were Madisen Hodges, sophomore, Cunningham, TN; India Gaiten, sophomore, Clarksville; and Emily Fisher, sophomore, Pleasant View. Kyla Hawkins, a freshman from Murfreesboro, was named Honorable Mention.
“The team managed the big games,” added Lyon. “The experience of last year’s team and the enthusiasm of the new players really blended well when it mattered the most. They are a close-knit group and were willing to work hard for each other and in representing Motlow.”
Individually, Gasaway placed fourth in the country with 87 shots and fourth nationally with 53 shots on goal. Gasaway tied for eighth place nationally with 20 goals and ninth place with 47 points. Benton tied for fourth place in the nation with 15 assists, placed ninth with 44 shots on goal, and tied for ninth with 72 shots.
As a team, the Bucks finished third in the nation with 513 shots. Motlow scored 82 goals on the season, ranking seventh in the nation, had 234 points, also seventh; and had 70 assists, tied for ninth nationally. Motlow recorded 15 shutouts, ranking second nationally, and 24.4 shots per game, which tied for third in the country.
“I hope the college is proud of this group,” concluded Lyon. “Soccer is a relatively new sport to Motlow, and I hope the surrounding communities know they have a team to cheer for that has earned back-to-back national tournament appearances.”
Beginning in spring 2023, the Bucks will start playing on their new home field on the Moore County campus. GN
