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Optimism fills both Triton squads

Both the Iowa Central women’s and men’s soccer teams brought in highly-touted recruiting classes.

Now, the Tritons are ready to get to work.

Women’s head coach Jared Beauchamp enters his third campaign with the deepest roster he’s ever worked with, and men’s second-year coach Pablo Rodriguez is looking for his group to break into the upper-tier of their league.

“This is the deepest team that I’ve had top to bottom,” Beauchamp said. “We have players that can come in off the bench and the level won’t drop.

“We have a lot of new players and depth, so finding the right lineup and getting used to playing with all the new players will be key.”

Beauchamp’s group returns last year’s ICCAC leader in goals, Bruna Moreira. Moureira led the conference in scoring, tallying 19 goals, including five game-winners. Her best was a five-goal contest against Lake Superior College.

The Tritons also get outside back Julia de Oliveira and center back Nicole Garrido back. The two helped the Tritons shut out seven of their last 12 opponents.

Alayna Gray returns in the box after starting seven games last year. She led the conference in goals against and against average.

Also back is Vitoria Alves Balieiro and Julia De Oliveira, who were both center midfielders.

Beauchamp will look to four former Fort Dodge Dodger players for some minutes. Raeya Love, Makenzie Fuller and Leah Thompson, along with St. Edmond graduate Mara Crimmins, are all in the mix.

“Raeya will be playing outside back. She has great speed and pace, which allows her to recover,” Beauchamp said. “Makenzie is a winger that has a great delivery from outside. Mara is a good player that can play multiple positions and works hard. She will be a great addition, as will Leah.”

Beauchamp is hoping English national Elicia Mulvaney and Bruna Balleiro of Brazil will have a strong impact, as well as redshirt freshman defender Julissa Hernandez.

The Triton men won six ICCAC games in nine tries and finished 13-4 last fall, with all four of losses coming to opponents that finished in the final NJCAA rankings.

“We have many players who are hungry to earn starting positions,” Rodriguez said. “That makes for great competition during all aspects of training.

“Most of these players have never played at this level. We have talented players, but experience is where we lack. I believe that as the season goes on we will grow as a team and individuals.”

The Iowa Central men have finished fourth in the conference standings in three of the last four years.

In their six conference victories, the Tritons won five by one goal.

“Every season is different, and every team plays a different way,” Rodriguez said. “My goal this season is to find the best style of play that will help us win games. This is not something that happens overnight, and it is always the biggest challenge as a coach.

“I look forward to seeing this team flourish and develop.”

Guillermo DaSilva and Guzman Dias of Uruguay are hoping to add needed scoring punch for Iowa Central. Rodriguez will have his goal keeper back in Joshua Precious of New England.

Also returning is Patrick Ndabaruta and Bee Akough.

Rodriguez is looking at Guillaume Rouzic, who was a transfer in June and originally from France, to be a key contributor as well.

“Guillaume will help us both on the talent side and experience side,” Rodriguez said. “He scored 10 goals at his previous school, and we were able to his talent during the last spring semester here at Iowa Central.”

The Triton men opened the season with a 3-2 loss to Illinois Central College, and 3-3 tie with Parkland College in a tournament held in Champaign, Ill.

In the loss, Rouzic and Akough scored goals. Against Parkland, Rouzic, Akough and Guzman Diaz had goals.

The ICCC women lost to Illinois Central, 3-2, and beat Parkland, 3-2. In the setback, Bielski and Emily Branson recorded goals. In the victory over Parkland, Branson, De Oliveira and Kersten Molina scored.

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

Aug. 29 — Rochester, 4 p.m.

Sept. 1 — at Anoka-Ramsey, 2 p.m.; 2 — at Lake Superior, 1 p.m.; 12 — at Iowa Western, 3 p.m.; 15 — at Hawkeye, 2 p.m.; 18 — Dakota County, 2 p.m.; 22 — at Southeastern, 2 p.m.; 26 — NIACC, 2 p.m.; 29 — at Scott, 2 p.m.

Oct. 2 — Indian Hills, 4 p.m.; 6 — St. Charles, 2 p.m.; 10 — at Iowa Lakes, 4 p.m.; 13 — Northeast, 4 p.m.

WOMEN’S ROSTER

Sophomores — Alayna Gray; Jasmary Grandos-Erazo; Avery Wse; Eloise Schumacher; Julissa Hernandez; Nicole Garrido; Vitoria Alves Balieiro; Julia De Oliveira; Morgan Carew; Brittany Honkomp; Kersten Molina; Emily Gilson.

Freshmen — Kaylee Oehler; Leah Thompson; Stephanie Lopez; Nahimana Cecille; Dara Guimaraes; Bruna Bielski; Bruna Moureira; Miram Bolanos-Rubic; Mara Crimmins; Mya Alexander; Emily Branson; Raeya Love; Makenzie Fuller; Elicia Mulvaney.

MEN’S SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 — at Anoka-Ramsey, 4 p.m.; 2 — at Lake Superior, 3 p.m.; 8 — Marshalltown, 2 p.m.; 12 — at Iowa Western, 4 p.m.; 15 — at Hawkeye, 4 p.m.; 18 — Dakota County, 4 p.m.; 22 — at Southeastern, 4 p.m.; 26 — NIACC, 4 p.m.; 29 — at Scott, 4 p.m.

Oct. 2 — Indian Hills, 2 p.m.; 10 — at Iowa Lakes, 2 p.m.; 13 — Northeast, 2 p.m.

MEN’S ROSTER

Ahmed Abdalla; Bee Akough; Lucas Arujo; Matheus Barbosa; Juan Calderon Ramirez; Juan Canon; Agustin Contreras; Gillermo Da Silva; Matheus De Souza Luzio; Guzman Diaz Scarone; Adis Dogic; Jose Dos Reis Pereira Neto; Sergio Paulo Dos Santos Jr.; Alexander Dye; Sebastien Fanoy; Mauro Garretano; Phillipos Georgiou; Denson Heard; Levi Hughes; Klint Koster; Aloyzio Lima; Dylan McGill; Andrija Milenkovic; Maxime Mirabel; Damian Moala Silatolu Kopa; Cameron Mooney; Carlos Moya; Thiago Nascimento; Patrick Ndabaruta; Niklas Obert; Joshua Precious; Matthew Purcell; Harry Quigley; Alejandro Reynolds; Gillaume Rouzic; Lucas Santiago Dos Santos; Julia Season; John Walton; Kalen Webb; Tait Whitten; Jemali Zarnadze.

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