It’s a season of new for JCC women’s soccer
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It’s a season of "new" for the Jamestown Community College women's soccer team.
The Jayhawks feature a new head coach in Sarah Chimera, who was a JCC assistant coach a decade ago, as well as a roster full of new faces with minimal college experience. Regardless of the inexperience, the 2026 Jayhawks are ready to be the foundation of the program moving forward.
"That is honestly part of the reason I went here," said freshman defender Kennady Ellsworth. "I want to be part of something that was starting brand new. Being one of the building blocks. I just think it is a fun environment, and we are all figuring it out with Coach Sarah (Chimera). I think being able to support her and her supporting us brings us together in a different way."
"It is so exciting to get a fresh start, knowing we are the new incoming team and getting this opportunity," said freshman defender Madilyn Seastrum. "To get this fresh start with these girls, a lot of us played against each other in high school or played together in club, so we have a chemistry already built."
That excitement means just a little bit more for sophomore defender Ally Notarianni, who was part of the 2025 club that had their season cut short.
"It is super exciting. It is so surreal," Notarianni said. "I am really excited to be out here with the new girls and play with the new team chemistry. The chemistry we saw today in our scrimmage is really good. The passes are connecting; everything is going really good, so it is exciting."
One player who isn’t new to Coach Chimera sporting the green and gold on the sideline is her daughter, incoming freshman Gracie Chimera, who has fond memories of her mother's time as a Jayhawk assistant.
"It is exciting because she coached a while ago and I was here running around with the girls back then and it was a great environment and so much fun even though I was only 7 years old,” said the midfielder. "It's really surreal now because I am on the team and she is coaching and she has coached me my whole life, so I am excited for that."
While the 2026 Jayhawks still have that new-car smell, the squad knows they need to be fine tuned before games get real at the end of August.
"Everyone is putting in a good effort, having a good attitude, and keeping their heads up even if you get scored on," Ellsworth said. "There will be tough games; you won’t win all of them. I want to see the effort and slowly getting better."
"I think for the whole team it is to get 1% better every day. I think that will play a big part in it," Notarianni said. "I felt it already today; if we do that, we will really grow and have something here."
"I think we need to go into it as a team with confidence and with composure; that is the biggest thing for us," Gracie Chimera said.
With all the unknowns this early in the season, it’s hard to set expectations, but the ladies are willing to dream big.
"We don’t really know what we are stepping into yet, so our first game will be telling and eye-opening to see," Seastrum said. "I mean, yeah, a national championship would be awesome, but we want a successful season all around."
The women's 2026 campaign begins on the road to Lakelake Community College on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m. They have their first home match on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. when Onondaga Community College comes to town.