MELBOURNE, Florida — Coming off a strong second half comeback to lift Cape Fear Community College Women’s Soccer to the programs first-ever District L Championship, the Sea Devils begin their quest for a national championship on Monday at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Tournament.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first half against Hartford Community College, Cape Fear scored three times in the final 45 minutes of regulation to clinch a spot in the 12-team event to decide this year’s national champion.
Sophomores Aylssa Coustenis, Jenna Pecorini and freshman Alaina Capps scored for the Sea Devils in the win over Hartford. Cape Fear Community College brings a 17-1 overall mark to the NJCAA Tournament.

Coustenis has a team-high 17 goals moving into nationals, while Sierra Raynor has 41 total points, with 14 goals and 13 assists. Capps is also a double-digit scorer, with 10 tallies on the year. The Sea Devils were listed at No. 13 in the final NJCAA Division I poll released on Nov. 8.
Cape Fear Community College has five players with local ties on the roster, including four freshmen who represent New Hanover, Laney and Ashley High Schools.
Sophomore Raime Cooper has also seen time in all 18 matches this season, with two goals and seven assists.
Briley Eason (Laney), Anna Massengill (New Hanover), Kenedy Green (Ashley) and Sydney Parker round out the area products headed to the Sunshine State. Eason, Massengill and Parker have been a big part of the Sea Devils success along the back line. Cape Fear has posted 10 shutouts this season.
The first three days of the NJCAA Tournament, Nov. 14-17, will be pool play, with the top team from each pool advancing to the semifinals on Nov. 18. The championship game will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19.
Paradise Valley out of Phoenix, Arizona, won the title in 2012, and received the No. 1 seed for the tournament to be held at Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne campus of Eastern Florida State College.
Eight of the 12 teams are back from last season, including three of the four 2015 semifinalists. Cape Fear Community College received an 11-seed and play No. 2 Butler Community College (El Dorado, Kansas) at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14.
Butler was one of those four returning semifinalists and a favorite to run the table. The No. 2 seed comes into the tournament winners of 20 straight games and has scored 112 goals this season.
All of the tournament games will be shown live online at efsctitans.com/webcast
For more information on the tournament, go to efsctitans.com/tournament