Small Business Solutions

North Country Community College womens soccer has many familiar faces from Section 7 on the pitch this season. Hannah Gaddor from Moriah, Madison Moody-Durant from Saranac Lake, and two players from Crown Point, Julianne Swan and Abby LaFountain, said they appreciate the chance to play junior college soccer with teammates they are familiar with from high school. The people here are great, Gaddor said. I know a lot of the girls here, so it’s kind of just like home all over again. One of those connections for Gaddor is as close as a 15-minute drive from Swan and LaFountain. Both Crown Point high school players said they are thrilled to spend at least another two years on the same team since they have been best friends for almost their entire lives. Weve been best friends forever since weve been little girls, Swan said. Its just a really cool experience to go through with someone so close to you. Swan and LaFountain have almost done everything together, including working together as warm-up partners before varsity soccer games and sitting next to each other on team bus rides. They also sat right next to each other when they got the call from head coach Kent Egglefield, telling them they both would be North Country Saints. It means a lot, LaFountain said. “I wasnt expecting to be able to move on and keep playing soccer. Especially with someone that was on my high school team that I played with my whole entire life. While Moody-Durant does not have any teammates from Saranac Lake High School joining her at North Country, her new school is something she has always been super passionate about competing for. She got invited by Egglefield to practice with players on the Saints’ home field as early as her sophomore year at Saranac Lake. Her trips to practice and to watch games from her hometown team were easily accessible, with the field being right across the street from her own house. It means a lot to me because Ive known this team for a really long time, Moody-Durant said. Ive grown up watching them, and now finally being able to play, I love it. Moody-Durant added that working with the team and Egglefield gave her the confidence to feel prepared to play in college. He just taught me so much over the past two years, Moody-Durant said. Hes an amazing coach; he helps us with every single small thing we need to go through. Egglefield, who is from Elizabethtown, New York, has connections across Essex County to try to give high school players in Section 7 the opportunity to develop and play at the junior college level. Thats been the case for Swan, who in Egglefields system has already surpassed her career number of high school goals in just her freshman year with North Country. It really cool, I never thought that would happen, but Kent (Egglefield) said if you moved up and youll be able to score and I did, she said. All four Section 7 freshmen are looking to turn their improved gameplay and stats into wins for their new team. The Saints are trying to get back to the National Junior College Athletic Association postseason for their sixth consecutive Region III playoff appearance. They told us how last year didnt go great for them, Gaddor said. This year, we are winning games, were scoring a lot, were back. Were going to win a lot of games. Im excited. North Country has six more games in the regular season before the playoffs begin in October.