Trinidad & Tobago’s Nikeisha Noel, a member of the East Mississippi Community College women’s soccer team, has received player of the week honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“Nikeisha obviously has talent, but what has impressed me the most about her recently is the way she has taken to her teammates so significantly of late,” EMCC’s second-year head coach stressed. “She has the general respect of her teammates and they look to her for answers offensively.”
A native of San Fernando, Trinidad, Nikeisha Noel attended Pleasantville Senior High School. While Noel has perhaps been making the most headlines of late within the EMCC soccer program, she is a valuable link of a unique connection between Trinidad & Tobago and East Mississippi Community College. Noel’s teammate Raycine Clarke, a freshman defender/midfielder from Cocorite, Trinidad and a former standout at St. Francois Girls’ College, unfortunately underwent season-ending knee surgery recently to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
EMCC’s association with the southern Caribbean Republic also extends to its men’s soccer squad. Also guided by head coach Junior Noel, the Lions feature sophomore midfielder Paul Nicholas of Arima, Trinidad and freshman midfielder/forward Leonardo Reyes also from Arima. Nicholas prepped at El Dorado Secondary School, while Reyes starred at Hillview College. A 5-foot-11, 158-pound first-year player, Reyes leads the Lions with four goals on the season.
The T&T-to-EMCC pipeline originated when Junior Noel took over the Lions soccer program in 2007. This season, he is charged with directing both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at East Mississippi. A former standout soccer player himself at Queen’s Royal College High School in his native Trinidad, Noel moved to the United States in 1994 when he earned a soccer scholarship to play for the University of Mobile in Alabama. As a two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American, he helped lead the Rams to an NAIA runner-up finish as a freshman in 1994 and a trip to the NAIA semifinals during his senior year. The former member of Trinidad & Tobago’s National Team capped his collegiate career as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1997.