BMC Athletics
Brett Fowler
BLUE MOUNTAIN – The pitch is green, recruiting is complete, jerseys are selected and scheduling is in place for the inaugural Blue Mountain College Soccer programs to start for the 2021-22 season.
Topper coaches Caryl Vogel (men) and Aron Bassoff (women) have spent the last few months placing the finishing touches on what will be BMC’s introduction into a sport that has exploded in popularity not only in North Mississippi and the south, but the entire nation.
The Soccer Toppers will compete in possibly the best conference in the nation, the Southern States Athletic Conference, where they will have to contend against perennial Top 10 teams.
Both teams will play scrimmages and exhibitions to open 2021, starting August 19 against Northwest Miss. Community College in Senatobia, Miss. Officially, the two teams will open August 27 against NCAA DIII Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss., with both hosting the first home matches at the BMC Sportsplex September 2 against Williams Baptist (Ark.).
“We are thrilled to be part of the inaugural season for soccer at Blue Mountain College, and I am also very happy with our first recruiting class,” Bassoff said. “We have a good mix of international players, JUCO transfers and high school freshmen. I am pleased they made the decision to blaze a path for women’s soccer at BMC. I feel we should be competitive for a first-year team and set a real good foundation to build off for years to come.”
Vogel commented, “We are extremely excited about the group of young men who have committed to building this program at Blue Mountain College. It is a great mixture of talented student-athletes from across the state, region and world. Fifteen of the twenty-nine players are transfers from other colleges, predominately junior colleges. This experience and understanding of the college soccer system will be valuable in our first year. In addition, we have a strong incoming freshman group who will be vying for immediate playing time, and we expect many of them to be impact players for us. I am excited to see what special things come out of this inaugural season.
Both teams open SSAC play September 30, hosting Brewton-Parker in Blue Mountain.