NIACC women's soccer team starts season Aug. 24
- Trojans face Dakota Wesleyan JV in opener
- Nascimento begins 1st season as head coach
- Trojans return 10 sophomores
MASON CITY - The NIACC women's soccer team opens the 2025 season on Aug. 24 at home against the Dakota Wesleyan University Junior Varsity.
The non-conference match will start at 1 p.m. on the NIACC campus.
Raphael Nascimento begins his first season as head coach of the Trojans. Nascimento takes over for Todd Alberts, who stepped down after two seasons as head coach.
Nascimento was the head men's soccer coach at Marshalltown CC from 2020-24.
"The opportunity of going back coaching a college team in such competitive conference and environment," Nascimento said about what intrgued him about the coaching position. "The women's soccer program here at NIACC has been always competing with the best teams and I see that as an opportunity to make history with the program."
NIACC was 6-8-2 overall in 2024 and 4-5 in the ICCAC. The Trojans dropped a 1-0 decision to Northeast CC in the opening round of the NJCAA Region 11 Division II tournament.
"I was able to meet with the team during the spring in three situations," Nascimento said. "The first one was over a zoom call while I was doing my interview for the coaching position and the girls were able to ask me questions about me, my coaching experience and style of play/practice.
"The second time, I was over a scrimmage that they were playing against Grand View University in April and I was still in the interview process and I really wanted to make sure I could see the team and that I could take notes about the players as well. The third time was right before graduation in May and I was able to come in and talk to them face to face for the first time as the head coach."
Nascimento said all of the interactions with the returning players were "very positive."
"I have a feeling that the team and I will be working well together," he said. "We are recruiting for a few positions still and because of that I have been working hard to be connecting with the new prospect players and making sure they choose NIACC as their home for the fall.
"We have a very good and talented group of girls coming to NIACC and I'm here to help them to succeed in their soccer and college projections."
The Trojans return 10 sophomores from last season's team, including all-region performers in keeper Nadia Kaiser (honorable mention) and midfielder Aryana Rashidi (honorable mention).
After playing seven non-conference contests to start the season, the Trojans open ICCAC play Sept. 20 at Iowa Lakes. The Trojans' first home league contest is set for Sept. 24 against Northwest Iowa CC.
2025 NIACC women's soccer schedule
Preseason
August
19 - at Central College (scrimmage), 5 p.m.
Regular season
August
24 - vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Junior Varsity; 26 - at DCTC, 5:30 p.m.; 29 - vs. Cisco College (at Garden City, Kan.), 3 p.m.; 30 - at Garden City CC, 1 p.m.
September
1 - vs. St. Charles CC, 2 p.m.; 7 - vs. Anoka-Ramsey CC, 1 p.m.; 10 - at RCTC, 6 p.m.; 20 - * at Iowa Lakes, 1:30 p.m.; 24 - * vs. Northwest Iowa CC, 1 p.m.; 27 - * vs. Central CC-Columbus, 1 p.m.
October
1 - * at Western Iowa Tech, 1 p.m.; 4 - * vs. Iowa Central, 1 p.m.; 11 - * at Hawkeye CC, 1 p.m.; 15 - at Indian Hills, 1 p.m.; 18 - * at Northeast CC, 1 p.m.; 22 - * vs. Southeastern CC, 1 p.m.; 25 - NJCAA Region 11 Division II tournament (site to be determined); 28 - NJCAA Region 11 Division II tournament semifinals (site to be determined).
November
1 - NJCAA Region 11 Division II championship (site to be determined); 7 - NJCAA Division II Plains District Tournament (site to be determined); 16-22 - NJCAA Division II national tournament (Wichita, Kan.)
* - ICCAC contest
Home matches in bold
