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Tracey Britton really enjoys it when Craig Demmin heads home to the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

 

It's not that the Monroe CC women's soccer coach likes having her assistant so far away. But every time Demmin leaves, he seems to return with new players for a program overflowing with talent.

Monroe Community College (14-2) begins play in the eight-team National Junior College Athletic Association tournament today in Albany, Ga. The Tribunes are aiming for their fourth national title in seven seasons, and three of their key players hail from Trinidad or neighboring Tobago.

Sophomore defender Ayana Russell is from Las Lomas, Trinidad, and sophomore forward/midfielder Aveann Douglas is from Arma, Trinidad. Freshman goalkeeper Kimika Forbes comes to MCC via Plymouth, Tobago.

All three play for the Trinidad and Tobago national women's team and were discovered by Demmin, a former Rochester Rhinos star, during visits home.

"Craig played for the men's national team for more than a decade, so he knew a lot of people who worked in the national program,'' Britton said. "When he saw the girls, he knew they'd be a great fit here.''

Russell was named Region III Player of the Year this fall. Forbes allowed just three goals in nine games, with seven shutouts. Douglas missed most of the season with a leg muscle injury but returned to score a goal against Bryant & Stratton in the Region III title game.

The Tribunes are led by Livonia's Tia Begy (12 goals, two assists for 26 points), Wayne's Leighana Krzyzanowski (9-4-22) and Hilton's Casey Reinhardt (7-5-19).

Russell, Douglas and Forbes all say that playing in the United States was a goal growing up. The two sophomores had never seen snow before last year  "I didn't like it too much,'' Russell says  and Forbes has yet to see it.

Douglas, whose nickname is "Smally" because she stands just 5-foot-2, played for last year's team, which entered the national semifinals unbeaten but lost to Iowa Western in a shootout.

"She's very creative with the ball and can find people anywhere,'' Britton says.

The ninth-year coach calls Russell "the all-around best defender I've ever had'' and says the 17-year-old Forbes is "extremely athletic and has a great presence in the box.''

The three players say it was comforting to come to America with teammates from their national team.

"It helped a lot,'' says Russell, 19, who has been training with the Trinidad and Tobago team since she was 12. "It would have been strange, not knowing anyone here.''

If MCC wins today, it will play in Friday's semifinals. The national championship is Sunday.

"It's kind of nice being the fourth seed,'' Britton says. "It'll be fun to be the underdog for a change.''