The WNCC men, who have the best record on Region IX with a 2-2-1 mark, will kick things off with a 2 p.m. contest against the 2-6 Golden Eagles. The Cougar women enter with a 3-2 record and will face the No. 9-ranked Golden Eagles (5-1-1) at 4 p.m.
The WNCC teams are definitely excited to be playing at home. They are also excited to be back on the field after a 10-day break in action.
“That break can be a plus or minus,” freshman defender Pedro De Leon said. “The plus would be that we recovered with our injuries and the minus would be that they have been playing some high level games the past week and we haven’t. Hopefully, that won’t be a factor.”
The last time the Cougar men stepped on the field, they tied Western Wyoming Community College in a Region IX contest 1-1 and then bounced back to top Westminister College junior varsity 3-0. The LCCC men topped Laramie County 6-0 before falling to Westminster College 3-2 in double overtime.
De Leon said it doesn’t matter what happened before, it is what happens on the field Wednesday that matters the most.
“I don’t like to go by scores because we tied Western Wyoming 1-1 and they beat Western Wyoming 6-0,” he said. “Scores to me are just a number; it is all about taking care of it on the field. It will be a very big game for us. First off we had a great chance to put away Western Wyoming in our first region game, so coming out tomorrow and beating our rivals will be big just in the standings.”
The Cougar men will put a different team on the field then they have at the beginning of the season, after changing their formation in their 3-0 win against Westminster. De Leon said that was a positive move on their part.
“That changing of formation helped us to figure out our weak spot, which was our midfield,” he said. “We were getting beat at that certain spot and it allowed the other teams to know where to attack us from. Now we can hit them with a stronger midfield and score more goals on top and make it easier for our defense.”
De Leon said it won’t be an easy contest. LCCC is a good team and they have to play their game.
“I know they are really good in communication and I have heard they are good in their midfield,” he said. “If we can take them off their game in the midfield, then we can control the game.”
The WNCC women will be entering this contest with plenty to prove, especially after suffering a disheartening Region IX loss to Western Wyoming on Sept. 11. The Golden Eagles also have a sense of revenge on their mind after the Cougars toppled LCCC in last year’s Region IX tournament championship game.
“They are going to be really pumped up to play us and ready to play and win after that loss [last year],” sophomore forward Ana Jacobo said. “They will come out in their full game, but we should, too.”
The contest just be pretty equal. LCCC enters the contest with a 5-1-1 record but split a pair of matches over the weekend, tying the University of Colorado Gold team 1-1 before beating the CU Black team 2-0. WNCC, 3-2 on the season, were bounced by Western Wyoming 2-0 on Sept. 11 before coming back to topple North Idaho College 2-0.
Jacobo said that, just like the men’s team, they also have a new formation that has made them a stronger team.
“That change helped us because with more midfields, it is way better then what we ran before,” Jacobo said. “We get to see more of the field now and the formation helps us get more attacking opportunities and it helps the defense.”
The one thing that the Cougars will need to do is put the ball in the back of the net. That could be a problem for both teams as both goalkeepers are among the best in the nation. WNCC’s Jessica Taylor has made 45 saves and given up five goals for a 1.22 average. LCCC’s Emly Michna is allowing .86 goals a game, while making 29 saves.
“It is a really big game for us,” Jacobo said. “It is a team we don’t get along with so it will be an important game. The focus will be on scoring and playing as a team. We really need to focus on what we are doing and keep positive thoughts on the field.”
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