AACC Women’s Soccer Team Wins Region 20, East District Championships

Anne Arundel Community College’s (AACC) women’s soccer team finished with a 14-3-1 record, which was the most wins for the program since 2011.

After winning the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II East District’s match against New Jersey’s Mercer College, 4-3, the Riverhawks advanced to the national NJCAA in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Riverhawks were victorious against Illinois’ Rock Valley Community College in the first round of their pool, 4-3, on November 18. The next day, the Riverhawks were beaten by second-seeded Johnson County Community College, 2-0, to mark the end of their season.

“We played our tails off against Johnson County,” said Jim Griffiths, head coach for AACC women’s soccer. “It was a really competitive game, and in my opinion, Johnson Community College was the best team in the tournament. They were that good.”

AACC was on a 10-game winning streak before that loss and their defense only allowed 22 goals over an 18-game season. They also recorded six shutouts during that time.

The defense was led by freshmen Eden Abey and Megan Strevig, along with sophomore and Severna Park resident Tina Tinelli.

“Tina is one of the best defenders that I’ve had in my 18 years of coaching,” Griffiths said. “She’s a tremendous athlete and has a cannon for a leg.”

Tinelli was named first-team All-Region 20 as well as Region 20 all-tournament team.

“We added 11 new players this year and we were miles ahead of last year’s team in regard to talent,” Tinelli said. “We were more athletic and had a hungrier offense.”

Part of that added offensive firepower was the addition of Severna Park’s Evan Bathras. She played club soccer with the Baltimore Celtics through middle school but did not play in high school.

“It was a last-minute decision to join the team in the fall, and I was looking to get fit and have a positive experience with starting college,” Bathras said. “We have great team chemistry; everyone encouraged one another in practice and games.”

Bathras scored a goal in the Region 20 game against the College of Southern Maryland but sustained an injury later in that game. Bathras started five games and had two goals and two assists prior to her injury.

“I’m really proud of this team, and we didn’t lose a game for two months,” Griffiths said. “Everyone bought into our culture coming from so many county high schools and they worked very hard all year.”

Tinelli, who played her last collegiate game, reflected on her experience during the long bus ride home from Alabama.

“I’ll miss it,” said Tinelli, who will get her associate of arts degree in cybersecurity. “I’ve been playing since I was 3, and playing at Anne Arundel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It worked out better than I ever thought.”

AACC is losing only five sophomores, and Griffiths is excited to bring back his talented freshman class including goalkeeper Péla Saunders, forward Emma Miga and midfielder Holly Wall, as well as Abey and Strevig.

“We should begin next season being ranked in the top 15 junior college teams in the nation,” Griffiths said. “We began last September with so many new faces, and we blended our individual talent and became regional champs and went to the national championships. This will be one of my favorite groups I’ve had.”