By Vincent Khan
With the World Cup going on at the moment, the love for soccer is felt by everyone worldwide. Soccer is a fast-paced game that tests every player’s mental and physical endurance, improvising skills, and mental toughness.
Across all sports, most clubs/ franchises pray to come out on top at the end of their season. Accomplishing such a task involves building a culture, excellent team camaraderie and chemistry, and great management.
Delta’s women’s soccer program has won the MCAA championship for the past five years. Five years might not seem that long, but when talking about dominance, the closest comparison you could make would be the Chicago Bulls of the ’90s, who won six championships, but those were separate three-peats. Delta is genuinely in a league of its own.
Delta scored their first goal 8 minutes into the game when Kali Jimenez scored on a long-distance free kick. Kennedy Caldwell had the game-winning goal when she finished a ball from a corner kick. Delta added two additional goals in the second half. St. Clair would convert on a free kick to prevent a shutout.
Five years of dominance in a row almost always comes with a great coaching staff. Head coach Damon Amey prides himself on the culture he has curated through his years of coaching. Damon is highly respected throughout the soccer community, and he has added a tremendous amount to make the Delta Pioneer team into a feared and recognized program. He is also a great student of the game and continually educates himself on new schemes that will benefit the program. The Pioneers are blessed to have his skills and talents in a leadership role in the program.
Congrats to Carley Bolen (5 forward) and Kali Jimenez (31 Defense) were selected for NJCAA All-American selections. Bolen stood out with three game-winning goals this season with ten goals total on a .192% shooting percentage. It is said that defense wins championships, and Kali Jimenez set the tone on the defensive back for the team, which was one of the scrappiest in the region.
The women’s soccer program is the top club at the school, bringing in the most achievements and accolades compared to the other school sports. If Delta can continue to carry on this success with its women’s soccer program, it may be sooner than later we might see a men’s soccer team start to form in the school.
