West District Championship Preview: Cochise vs. No. 8 Snow College

Fresh off winning the NJCAA Region I Championship, the Cochise College women's soccer team heads to Utah for one of the biggest matches in program history. The Apaches will face No. 8-ranked Snow College in the NJCAA West District Championship on Saturday, November 8, with kickoff set for 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. MST) at Snow College Soccer Complex in Ephraim.

The winner secures a place in the 2025 NJCAA National Tournament.

How They Got Here

Cochise (12-4-3) arrives with momentum after a dramatic 1–0 win over No. 1 Arizona Western in the Region I Final. Captain Stephanie Vazquez-Ceron scored the championship-winner in the 78th minute, and goalkeeper Marissa Tamayo delivered a season-high 11 saves to lift the Apaches to the title.

Head Coach Santos Rangel's squad has now allowed just one regulation goal in their last four matches and has recorded two postseason shutouts in a row.

Snow College (Ephraim, UT) earned its place in the District Final as the Region 18 champion, entering the match with a national ranking, a high-scoring attack, and one of the best defensive records in the western United States.

Regular Season Meeting

These teams met earlier this year on August 29 in Yuma, AZ, where Snow came away with a 4–0 victory. Despite the scoreline, Cochise generated chances — including five shots on goal — and remained competitive until late, playing down a player after a red card.

Snow scored twice in each half, but Cochise walked away knowing it could compete with the nationally-ranked Badgers. Saturday's rematch comes with much higher stakes — and a much different Cochise team.

Since that August matchup:

• Cochise has won the Region I title

• Taddei, Velazquez, and Barron earned NJCAA All-Region honors

• Defense has tightened, allowing only one regulation goal in their last 360+ minutes

• Vigorito and Tamayo have combined for clutch postseason performances

Players to Watch

Cochise College

• Diana Taddei – Leading scorer and 1st Team All-Region selection; scored the PK clincher in the Region I semifinal

• Stephanie Vazquez-Ceron – Captain; scored the Region I Championship game-winning goal

• Marissa Tamayo – Coming off an 11-save shutout against AWC

• Ana Velazquez / Chayton Barron – 2nd Team All-Region attackers, multiple game-winners this season

Snow College

• Brings a nationally ranked attack with multiple multi-goal scorers

• Defensively strong, historically difficult to score on at home

Match Details

Location: Snow College Soccer Complex – Ephraim, Utah
Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Kickoff: 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. MST)
Watch Live: TBD

Final Word

Cochise has already made history by knocking off the No. 1 seed on the road for a Region I title.
One more win… and the Apaches are going to the NJCAA National Tournament.