With the 2021 fall season just around the corner, the Mighty Lizards are making their final preparations for another successful soccer season. Pre-season training has just about wrapped up, which means it's time to take a look at what to expect from the TMCC Mighty Lizards on the pitch this fall.
Familiar Faces
From both men’s and women’s squads, 29 student-athletes will return to the TMCC Soccer Program this fall. Men’s Soccer returns with 18 players from last season’s team, while the women bring back 11 players from their spring roster.
Men’s Soccer’s returners are headlined by two-time All-Region defender Erick Ceja-Gonzalez, while the women’s team welcomes back both of their Spring 2021 All-Region honorees, midfielder Yalison Espinosa and defender Kennedy Ficklin.
Women’s Soccer will also welcome back two players—Mia Takekuma, who initially committed to join TMCC for 2020, and Elizabeth Hoffman, a member of the Mighty Lizards inaugural 2019 squad—who opted out of the Spring 2021 season due to COVID-19.
Who is New?
This season, 26 new student-athletes join the Mighty Lizards soccer teams. Men’s Soccer adds 11 new players for the season, while Women’s Soccer welcomes 15.
What About Coach?
Head Coach Geoff Hawkins will return this fall for his second season leading the Mighty Lizards. Hawkins, who joined TMCC in 2020 from the College of Southern Nevada, will keep his squads competitive in a tough conference that now features the defending National Champions in Men’s Soccer and the Spring 2021 national runner-ups in Women’s Soccer. Hawkins has been hard at work this offseason, finding the best way to mesh a number of new players together on the women’s side, and fine-tuning the tactics for the men.
Schedule
The Mighty Lizards Fall 2021 season is set to begin on Aug. 19, when Women’s Soccer takes on Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, WY. Men’s Soccer will play their first game of the season on Aug. 20 against Northwest College (Powell, WY).
Conference play is scheduled to start for TMCC on Sep. 2 against Utah State Eastern, and will run through Oct. 23. The regular season will be followed by the Region 18 tournament, which is currently scheduled to be played from Oct. 28-30.
Full schedules for Men’s and Women’s Soccer’s 2021 season are now available.
A New Kid on the Block
Earlier this summer, the Scenic West Conference welcomed a new member: Community Christian College (Redlands, CA). Both Men’s and Women’s Soccer will take on the Saints two times this season, first on Sep. 9 and again Oct. 7.
How to Watch?
TMCC is excited to again welcome fans to cheer on the Mighty Lizards in person at every home match this season. Check out TMCC Athletics’ Game Day Guide for more information on what to expect on match days.
Fans can catch every match this fall, home or away, via live stream on the Scenic West Network. Single-game access is available for $8, while full-season access to every match conference-wide is available for $35.
Health and Safety
Health and safety will remain a priority for the TMCC Mighty Lizards this year with the impacts of COVID-19 still visible across Northern Nevada. This season, the Mighty Lizards will adhere to all local, state, and NSHE policies regarding health and safety. While not required, all student-athletes and staff are being encouraged to pursue immunization.