“There is good soccer in the state and I look forward to working with Itawamba and the surrounding communities to help build that even more,” said Strother.
“Academics are our top priority at ICC,” Ball-Williamson said. “We want all of our teams to be successful and have great seasons, but more importantly we want our student-athletes to be successful in life and everything they do after ICC and a great education plays a big part in making that happen.”
“We are well-known for our outstanding athletic programs here at ICC and a large part of that success can be traced back to our coaches stressing the importance of excellence in the classroom,” said Ball-Williamson. “When a student-athlete does what it takes to perform at a high level in the classroom that same type of hard work and dedication shows in their respective sports.”
The Itawamba Community College Lady Indians’ and Indians’ soccer teams will be hosting open tryouts on Sunday, February 10 at 2:00 p.m. for the women and 3:00 p.m. for the men.
Sophomore forward Haley Walker (Tupelo), sophomore midfielder/defender Lauren Swee (Chelsea, AL) and sophomore keeper Shaina Cruse (Caledonia) earned Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) All-State honors for their performances during the 2012 soccer season.
“I’m really excited about getting the opportunity to play soccer at ICC since I’ve missed a year,” said Swain, who attended Mississippi University of Women this past semester. “I’m just really excited and thankful for this opportunity.”
Itawamba Community College head soccer coach Mike Sullivan announced the addition of midfielder Miranda Chapman, defenders Annalee Jaggars, Keely Mitchell and Lexi Black along with striker Alyssa Kelly of Saltillo to the Lady Indians' 2012 squad.
“Emily has been a great keeper for many years,” Sullivan said. “We are losing a really good keeper so we are needing to find some good replacements and we are really excited about the potential that Emily gives us in net these next few seasons.”
“We can’t thank everyone from Tupelo Park and Rec enough for letting us have this opportunity,†said Sullivan. “They do a lot of great things not only for us and the city of Tupelo, but for all of North Mississippi to be able to come out to enjoy and participate in.â€
“I was extremely proud of our girls,” said assistant coach Cody Carson. “They played well and fought hard, but came up short. Coach Sullivan and I are very happy with the progress they are making as the season continues.”
“It feels good getting this monkey off our back,” said Sullivan. “The girls have worked too hard this season to not have already have a win this season, but they came in determined to get the win and refused to come away with anything less.”
“We felt good about the match,” said Sullivan. “We had plenty of chances to score, but were unable to take advantage of them. We still have a lot to work on, but we are making a lot progress in the right direction.”
“I’m very proud of the ladies and the way they fought the entire match despite playing the night before,” Sullivan said. “Once we find our finishing touch I feel like we have the potential to be a dangerous team and hopefully get another chance to play these teams on down the road.”
“The players are excited to finally get the season started,” said ICC soccer coach Mike Sullivan. “They have been working hard since day one to get ready for the season and hopefully all the hard work and effort they have put in will pay off with some wins to start the season.”
“We are excited about announcing the plans for our alumni game,” said ICC women’s and men’s soccer coach Mike Sullivan. “This will be a great way for old friends to catch up with each other and play a little soccer like their glory days at ICC.”
For the fourth-straight year, the ICC soccer teams will kick off the season with a two-day weekend trip to the coast as the Lady Indians and Indians take on Pearl River and Gulf Coast in August.