The women’s soccer team at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is proving that achieving success on the field begins with unity off of it.
For head soccer coach Ian Brophy, who is finishing his third season coaching the Lady Demons, the 2025 season represents the culmination of years of steady progress.
“Each year, I think we have taken a step forward,” Brophy said. “Last year the team came up just short of a conference title, and then this year we took a step forward and won the regular season conference title. It is really exciting to see the program’s development flourish this year.”
Brophy said that this year’s team has been one of the most enjoyable to coach because of the bond his players share.
“This has probably been the most fun year to coach,” Brophy said. “There are not any cliques or groups, just unity, camaraderie and people looking out for each other by holding people accountable as well.”
Madison Murphy, senior defender and communication major, has witnessed that evolution firsthand.
“I’ve been here for four years, and Coach Ian came my sophomore year. Since then I have seen the team grow,” Murphy said.
Murphy described the team’s off the field culture as the strongest the team has ever had.
“Whenever the team likes each other off the field, the team supports each other on the field,” Murphy said.
Emily Senatore, junior attacking midfielder and health and exercise science major, agreed that this year’s success comes from their chemistry on-and-off the field.
“I feel like the team culture this year is just a lot better than it’s been in the past years. Off the field we are a lot closer,” Senatore said. “I feel like it translates to the field because we are connected and work better together.”
The connection showed early in the season when the team opened with a victory against the University of Texas at Austin. Both the players and coaches say that the win set them up for a successful year.
“We often start off the season playing a big school. Last year we played Arkansas [State University] and we lost,” Senatore said. “Usually, we go into the game thinking it is a cool experience, and we will have fun. Winning that game set the tone for the rest of the season.”
Clifford Jordan, associate head soccer coach, explained that the early win against a big school sparked belief and excitement in the team.
“Knocking off Texas was a big standout moment. It showed the team they could achieve something special,” Jordan said. “From preseason until now, their camaraderie and closeness have been incredible. It has unlocked their potential in every way.”
Kevin Bostian, NSU athletic director, said that he is impressed with the program’s growth since Brophy took over in 2022.
“Three years ago, our previous coach left after winning the 2021 championship, and we lost 11 seniors and six transfers,” Bostian said. “Brophy had to basically recruit a whole new team.”
Bostian called Brophy “a player’s coach” who has built a strong culture where the players believe they can do well both on and off the field.
Brophy instills six core values in his players: honesty, respect, family, competitiveness, accountability and bravery.
“We harp on bravery the most,” Brophy said. “We tell our players that in life you will usually have two options: the cautious choice and the brave choice. We teach them to always make the brave choice.”
The Demons finished the regular season with a 13-5-3 record and secured the top seed for the conference tournament based on their 7-2-1 record in conference play.
Seven members of the NSU soccer team received Southland All-Conference honors for their performance this season. Earning First Team honors were Riley Stern, Paige Baumgartner, Jessica Spitzer, Emily Senatore and Hosane Soukou. Emma Pethel and Kennedy Rist earned Second Team honors.
