Two former players of the Saad EC woman´s soccer team, Michele
and Carol, joined the Northeastern State University Soccer Programs
in 2002 as Graduate Assistant Coaches. They are very proud of the
Men´s ans Women´s teams achievements and still very
enthusiastic with the confidence and support they receive from coach
Charlie Mitchell. Carol and Michele learned their first soccer lessons
from the legendary coach Jose Duarte, and working with Mr. Mitchell
is also a honor for them.
NSU Soocer Programs overview
After some fifteen years of successful men's soccer competition,
NSU decided to establish a women's varsity program. With Coach Charlie
Mitchell formerly coach of the Tulsa Roughnecks and player on several
European and American professional soccer teams now the NSU coach,
1996 seemed the year to kick off a women's program. During the spring
and summer of 1996, women players were recruited and the succeeding
fall, the women began play. The first two years the women competed
in NAIA soccer competition playing mostly Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri
teams, but when NSU decided to join the NCAA and compete in NCAA
II competition, both teams joined the Lone Star Conference and extended
their play into Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Since joining the
Lone Star Conference and NCAA II, both teams have competed well
in representing Oklahoma in that conference. The women have qualified
for the conference playoffs repeatedly but have not at this point
in time advanced from the conference playoff tournament. But, competition
in the conference continues to strengthen so to advance in tournament
play ranks places the Lone Star Conference champion among the best
women's NCAA II programs in the nation. The goal of the NSU team
is to advance to regional and national play and make its mark. Recruitment
for the women's program has centered mostly on area women, coming
mainly from the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. A few women have
come from Missouri and Texas but by far the women who represent
NSU are Oklahoma bred and have come up through the ranks premier
and olympic development programs. Each year, the quality of players
have improved and for the fall season 2004, NSU will have the best
squad ever. Losing only one senior from the 2003 team, much is expected
from this 2004 fall team. One of the most remarkable achievements
of all the teams NSU has fielded since 1996 is their academic performance.
Each year since the program inception, the women's soccer team has
been recognized as the most academically successful NSU sports team
in the classroom. Many of the women have received national, state
and NSU honors, a mark of success for any sports team. It can truly
be said that by establishing the women's soccer program, our institution
has gained recognition not only as an outstanding university in
sports competition, but one which emphasizes academic development.
NSU women's program has been a major contributor to that recognition.
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