Allen’s women’s soccer season is over. That’s the short of it. They missed out on an at-large bid to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.
After losing in the North Plains District title game last weekend to Northeast Community College, the Lady Red Devils knew they would need an at-large bid to continue the season. Allen players and coaches gathered at noon Tuesday in the student union at Allen in anticipation of the bracket release. Some nervously stared at their phones, some played games, and some just waited in silence.
When the brackets were revealed, the players were stunned.
Allen came into last weekend a top-five team, almost sure to get a bid.
“I felt like if we were top five in the nation, it would be really tough for the NJCAA to keep us out,” said Allen Community College head coach Jeremy McGinnis. “A lot more goes into it than the polls. I always tell my players ‘win or lose, we learn’ and I definitely learned a lot this year from the rankings and from postseason play. You think being top five in the nation, an at-large bid is something that will come easy, but it doesn’t after you look at some of the pieces the NJCAA does and the comparison with other teams.”
Even though they missed out on the tournament, Allen set a new record for wins this season with 15.
“This was the best season and highest ranking for Allen,” McGinnis said. “They are an all-around great group of girls. Obviously, you have a different group every year and each of them has something different but this group was special. There are a lot of great pieces not only on the field but off the field as well. We had a lot of great memories.”
At Tuesday’s news, some players cried and hugged. Others sat disappointed. For a handful, they had played their last game for Allen and didn’t even realize it.
“I told them I know this isn’t the way we wanted it to end,” McGinnis said. “I told them I appreciate everything they have done and to know that they mean a lot to me and will always have a special place in my heart.”
