ENID, Okla. - The confidence to return to a national championship has been there all season for Arizona Western women's soccer coach Victory Verdugo. "We'll be back," he told me with a grin in early September. "I feel we have all the pieces in place and this is the team that can break through and win us a national championship." While the Lady Matadors head coach talked the talk, his players walked the walk. The Lady Matadors finished the regular season undefeated handling every challenge they faced. They took care of #8 ranked at the time, Snow College, 3-0 in late August. They defeated ACCAC rival Eastern Arizona twice, both times, the Gila Monsters were nationally ranked. The Lady Matadors started the season ranked #2 in the national pre-season polls and held that position all season long. Arizona Western's lone loss this season came in the Region 1 final, a 1-0 loss to Cochise College. It was a game Arizona Western dominated for most of the match, except the final score. Cochise College got hot at the right time and also advanced to the NJCAA national championship this year. Following the loss to Cochise, Verdugo's focus remained the same.

"You learn a lot more from losing," Verdugo said following the loss on November 1st. "I think this is going to build character and prepare us. At the end of the day, the objective is still to win a national title. We'll get an at-large bid and have two weeks to focus and move on."

Along with Verdugo, the Arizona Western College sports department led by Athletic Director Jerry Smith, compiled a compelling argument for the Lady Matadors to receive and at-large bid into the national tournament. To get into the tournament, eight teams qualify by winning their District championship games, leaving only four spots to be filled via at-large bids. Verdugo was confident his team would get in, and his track record spoke loud and clear. Since Verdugo took over the program on October 7th, 2023, the Lady Matadors are 42-3-3 and each season under Verdugo and his coaching staff of Joel Ibarra and Kourtney Celaya have taken a step forward. In 2023, Arizona Western lost 1-0 to Eastern Florida State College in the National Semi-Finals. Last season, a 1-0 loss to Daytona State in the national championship. On top of that, Arizona Western has not been out of the NJCAA top five since the week three rankings were released on September 16th, 2024. The NJCAA selection committee took notice and granted Arizona Western an at-large bid into the tournament and a #3 overall seed. Even with Arizona Western's loss to Cochise College, the Lady Matadors earned immense respect heading into the tournament. 

"It kind of reflects the last three years of work within the program," Verdugo said after the national selection show. "Being in the national semi-finals then a national runner-up. We've built ourselves up. We need to be in the national tournament and be one of the players in contention for a national championship."

The Lady Matadors went into the tournament as the top team in Pool C play with Trinity Valley and Salt Lake Community College. Arizona Western defeated Trinity Valley 6-0 to begin the tournament, then 2-0 over Salt Lake to emerge from pool play into the national semi-finals. On Thursday, the #3 seeded Arizona Western Lady Matadors faced #2 seed Seminole State in cold and rainy conditions in Enid, Oklahoma.

"The elements were kind of a factor," Verdugo said. "Playing in the rain isn't something we're used to doing. We were led by Kei and Kei is going to be an All-American, probably the best player we've had here in a long time at our program. She held down our back line and then scored the game winner."

The Trojans of Seminole State looked to secure the program's first ever championship game appearance. They have been in the national tournament in seven of the nine years under head coach Dan Hill. Seminole State was also playing in their home state of Oklahoma. The Trojan's campus in Seminole, Oklahoma is just over two hours away from Enid Arizona. Arizona Western entered the tournament for the fourth time in program history and eyed a repeat appearance to the national final and the second in program history.

Seminole State relies on team speed while Arizona Western prides itself in stifling defense and smart decision making on the offensive attacks. In the rainy conditions, both sides struggled to find clear scoring chances through a physical, playoff-charged first half, combining for only 10 shots on goal. Just before the 80th minute, the Lady Matadors got their chance to break the scoreless tie, a yellow card was issued to Seminole State setting up a penalty kick for the Later Matadors from about 25 yards out. Sophomore captain Kei Yoneda lined up for the kick and took a deep breath. 

"She kind of looked at us and we gave her the indication to just go for it," Verdugo said. "She had a goal in the opening round game against Trinity Valley. We're fortunate that her quality was the difference."

The quality was a penalty kick that bent around three defenders and rotated its way into the top right corner of the goal, just off the fingertips of the goal keeper and into the back of the net. Yoneda was then mobbed by her teammates in celebration.

"The moment was difficult to describe," Verdugo said. "Excited, anxious. We still needed to close out the game. I was happy for her, happy for the group. That was the whole goal all year since the loss in last year's final, to get an opportunity to redeem ourselves."
 

It sets up a meeting between the two teams that finished in the top two spots to end the regular season rankings. Arizona Western's vision is now a reality. A re-match of last year's final versus Daytona State. Verdugo and the Lady Matadors wanted another shot, their wish has come true against the #1 ranked team in the country. 

"For us, I think it shows we are the best two teams in the country," Verdugo said. "I think it's the match-up everybody wanted to see. For us, they've done their part to get themselves back in the national final again. They are, at this point, the best team in the country and we are looking to prove that we are at the same level and to win a national championship for ourselves on Saturday." 

The national championship game is set for this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on ESPN +. Arizona Western College will also hold a watch party for fans in the hospitality room (GY-108) located near the gymnasium.