NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College women’s soccer team is headed to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
The Hawks finished up their regular season 8-2. Coach Chad Miller says Naomi Pedroza played a big role in the program’s success.
“Naomi, last year, was a surprise to everybody in the conference,” said Miller. “Nobody really knew who she was and then all of a sudden she scores 27 goals.”
That effort puts her in the top-10 nationally.
“It means a lot to me because I feel like I work really hard and the recognition is really nice,” Naomi said. “It makes me work harder and want to have bigger goals each time I play.”
The ranking isn’t the only thing pushing her to work harder, she has family on the field.
“In my eyes, she’s awesome at winning the ball, from the defender” freshman Sara Pedroza said. “She presses really hard. Her defense up top is awesome and she knows how to finish.”
The sisters from Hastings have been playing together for years.
“I love playing with my sister,” Naomi said. “I think her and I have really good chemistry together and she has a lot of potential. Whenever we’re on the field together, it’s just amazing. It’s an incredible feeling. After she scores or I score, we immediately run to each other and give each other a hug. I really couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Although Naomi is a sophomore in the two-year program, she will get one more year to play with her sister.
“I’m actually really excited for that,” Naomi said. “I was like, you know what I have the opportunity to play another year here, I’m going to take it because I want to play more with my sister and see where it goes from there. Hopefully, when she’s ready to transfer, we’ll transfer together and keep playing.
The Hawks will kick off the playoff on May 16 at the Veteran’s Memorial Field in Norfolk.
