WNCC women's soccer team set for district playoffs on Friday against No. 3 Hutchinson

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team will be trying to make the most of their second chance in the playoffs this weekend when they compete in the NJCAA District B Tournament in Cheyenne, Wyo.

The Cougars, who finished runner-up in the Region IX tournament, earned an at-large berth into the district tournament. WNCC opens up district play Friday at 2:30 p.m. against No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College. The winner of WNCC and Hutchinson will face the winner of the earlier contest between No. 10 Laramie County Community College and North Idaho College, who received honorable mention votes in the polls, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

WNCC freshman Rachelle Tekler, a defender who earned second team all-region honors, said the team is ready for the challenges.

“We are not doing too bad in practices,” Tekler said. “The past couple of practices we have been scrimmaging and trying to find gaps for our offense.”

WNCC enters districts with a 9-9-2 record and faces a Hutchinson squad that is a perfect 20-0 on the season. The two squads faced each other earlier in the season with the Blue Dragons registering a 5-2 win. Hutchinson won their region by topping Butler Community College in overtime 1-0. WNCC and Butler also played this season with the Cougars winning 1-0 in overtime in Cheyenne back on Sept. 5.

Tekler said the key for success at districts is playing together and finishing shots.

“I think we need to play together and not play so direct to the goal,” she said. “We just need to play to the feet and work the ball down the field and not play over the top of the defense.

The Cougars have been clicking lately, after going three straight matches where they were shutout by a combined score of 13-0. Since those two home losses – 4-0 to Western Wyoming and 5-0 to Iowa Western, the team has rebounded quite nicely, including tying North Idaho College 1-1 in double overtime.

“The key is we need to finish more because we have been just shooting the ball and it has been going over the goal almost every time,” Tekler said. “We just need to get more direct shots and take perfect shots. If we do that, we will get it.”

The Cougar women are competing in their second district playoffs in three seasons. In 2008, the Cougar women won the Region IX title before falling to North Idaho 2-1 at districts. The only other time they competed in districts was 2003 – their inaugural season when the team went 19-1 topping Butler 2-1 in the first round of districts before falling to Dixie State College of Utah 3-0.

Tekler, who played at Platte Valley High in Kersey, Colo., said they can come away with a district title, since practices have been going really well this week in sunny conditions.

“I think if we play together and not yell at each other on the field, we have a good chance to win,” she said. “We just need to play like a family. I think we will do pretty good this weekend, hopefully.”

Tekler said it doesn’t seem possible to be playing soccer in November, but they are are.

“I am excited to play,” she said. “Soccer in November is really weird. I am used to soccer in the spring, not the fall. This is different.”

In other Region IX soccer news, the women’s all-region team was announced and seven Cougars were named to either the first or second team. Garnering first team honors is defensive stalwart Grace McConnell of Henderson, Nev., and Brittany McNeil, of Milliken, Colo. McNeil is the Cougars’ scoring leader with 12 goals and 31 points.

Earning second team honors is goalkeeper Jessica Taylor of Longmont, Colo., defenders Tekler and Quincy Jackson of Colorado Springs, Colo.; midfielder Jordan Lutkin of Gillette, Wyo., and forward Kristi Blicharz of Littleton, Colo.