WNCC women top Northwest 2-1, men fall 4-2 to Trappers

POWELL, Wyo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s soccer teams split Region IX matches against Northwest College on Wednesday in Powell, Wyo.

The Cougar women scored two second half goals to register a 2-1 win over the Trappers. The men weren’t as lucky, watching the Trappers scored twice with under 10 minutes to play to get a 4-2 win.

WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said the women’s team needed the goals to stop a 3-game slide where the Cougars have failed to score a goal.

“The women played pretty good,” he said. “They were under a great deal of pressure with the higher altitude up here and that was a little tougher for them. We played fairly consistent with the way we have been playing. Of course, we didn’t finish a lot of our chances. We didn’t have any major breakdowns today. I thought we did a nice job there.”

The Cougar women outshot the Trappers 11-3 for the game. Northwest’s only score came in the 27 minute as they knocked in a penalty kick to take a 1-0 lead at halftime, despite the Cougars getting six shots on goal.

The second half saw the women convert on those missed first-half scoring chances. Kristy Blicharz, in her second match back after sitting out the past five weeks with a leg injury, opened the scoring for the Cougars. Blicharz, who tallied back-to-back hat tricks in the team’s first two matches of the season before the injury, took a pass from Fernanda Acorinte to knot the score in the 52^nd minute.

WNCC took the lead with just three minutes to play as sophomore Jordan Lutkin scored the winning goal off an assist from Ashley Gleason.

The Cougar men, who have won their past two contests over Western Wyoming and Iowa Western, found the going not to their liking in falling 4-2. WNCC started the contest started the match off in roaring fashion as Marcel Sales scored off an assist from Miguel Leon in the 13^th minute. The Trappers came back in tying the score at 1-1 in the 29^th minute.

Northwest opened the second half by going up 2-1 with a goal in the 58^th minute. The Trappers kept the lead until Sales connected on a penalty kick in the 79^th minute to knot the score. Northwest kicked home the two go-ahead goals shortly after to take the win.

Rasnic said his team battled the altitude and field conditions the best they could.

“The guys played well and they continued playing hard. They gave a full effort,” he said. “We got a couple of goals, but we struggled to consistently to build an attacking play. We will need to improve upon that. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day for them. They fought through the altitude. Defensively we looked strong. Giving up the free kick inside the box was pretty major.”

The Cougar women, 7-8-1, will be back in action Sunday when they host the York College junior varsity in a scrimmage at the Landers Soccer Complex. After that, the Cougar men and women will wrap up the regular season when they travel to Rock Springs, Wyo., Oct. 16 and 17 to face Western Wyoming Community College and North Idaho College.

The two teams will then host the Region IX playoffs Oct. 22-23.