WNCC women win 10-0, McNeil ties school record for goals in a game

All Brittany McNeil could do last season for the Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer team was watch from the sidelines after taking a redshirt year because of injuries.

In the first two soccer matches this season, the 5-foot-1 forward is making some noise and Sunday was one of her finest hours as she tied a school record by netting four goals and delivering three assists to help the Cougar women to a commanding 10-0 win over Hesston College at the Landers Soccer Complex.

"it is amazing to be back on the field," McNeil said. "I love it being back on the field. It wasn't too bad today."

McNeil's four goals tied a school record that stood for four years. Bre Perkes scored four goals against Dodge City and Western Wyoming, and Paige Achatz against Western Wyoming all in 2006.

McNeil, who has six goals in two games after scoring twice on Saturday in a 9-0 win over Hesston, delivered two goals in each half. It was, however, her first-half goals that were spectacular. After WNCC took a 1-0 lead on a Leticia Lopez goal three minutes into the game, McNeil found the hot corner in putting the Cougars up 3-0.

Both of McNeil's goals were identical as the small forward took a pass from Daisy Rosalis with 34 left in the first half and planted the ball in the upper right corner. Nine minutes later, McNeil took a pass from Jordan Lutkin and delivered the same shot with the same result.

"I was trying to get it there because the goalie was near post and the far corner was wide open," McNeil said. "I hit that shot today, so it seemed that was my shot."

The Cougars had numerous scoring opportunities in the first -- nine shots on goal -- and miss-fired time after time.

Things were completely different for the Cougars in the second half as the Cougars connected on seven goals on 11 shots on goal.

"The first half was so good and then the second half we stepped it up and played a good game," McNeil said. "We started connecting, especially in the middle, and worked our way to the outside."

One of the big differences in the contests was the team's passing. The Cougars scored 10 goals and had 12 assists in on those games. Finding those open players was crucial in the team's win.

"If we don't find those connecting passes, there is no game," she said. "We have to have control of the passes and take the passes outside and then back to the inside. That is how you score goals."

That is exactly what they did throughout the game, especially in the second half.

McNeil was involved in the first goal as she recorded her second assist of the game, finding Rosales in the middle for the easy goal just 2 1/2 minutes gone in the half. The Cougars wasted little time in scoring again. Ninety seconds later, Kristy Blicharz stole the ball and went upfield to post her first goal of the game and a 5-0 lead.

WNCC wasn't through as Rosales netted her second goal of the game off an assist by Lopez with 36 minutes to play. Blicharz got her second goal with 27 minutes to play as she took a pass from Ashley Gleason to put the Cougars up 7-0.

McNeil then scored back-to-back goals to put WNCC up 9-0. With 21 minutes left, McNeil took a pass from Rosales for an easy goal. McNeil's fourth goal came with 10 minutes left as Gleason found the Milliken, Colo., native with another goal.

Blicharz scored her third goal of the game with three minutes left off an assist from McNeil. It was Blicharz second straight hat-trick in scoring as the 5-8 Littleton, Colo., freshman had three goals in the Cougars win Saturday against Hesston.

WNCC dominated the contest, outshooting the Larks 26-2 and had four corner kicks to Hesston's zero.

McNeil said these wins will help the team as they head into key regional games over the next 10 days. She said there is plenty of potential for this team this season, who has scored 19 goals in two games.

"We have huge potential as long as we come together and play as a family," she said. " I think we can play a lot better but it was really good today and yesterday," she said. "We still have to work on our connecting passes toward the middle and the outside.

The Cougars will next be in action Saturday when they face Northwest College in a Region IX match at the Landers Soccer Complex beginning at 10 a.m. After that, the Cougars will battle Butler County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Sunday, before facing Laramie County Community College on Sept. 8 in Cheyenne.

WNCC top Hesston College for first win of the season

The Western Nebraska Community College men's soccer team played a strong second half and the end result was an impressive 2-0 win over Hesston College Sunday at the Landers Soccer Complex.

The Cougars (1-1) limited the Larks to just eight shots on goal as WNCC goalkeeper Andrei Rodriquez made four saves to earn the win in net.

The difference in the game, however, was the team's defensive play late in the second half. The Cougars lost a player due to a red-card infraction with 33 minutes to play. After that, the Cougar defense, playing short a player, stepped up.

WNCC sophomore defender Kevin Lopez said the team played strong defense.

"The defense was really solid. The bad thing is we got one of the guys out with a red card so that affected us. Other than that, we played O.K."

The win was much needed after the Cougars lost a heartbreaker on Friday to Monroe Community College 4-2 after leading at half 2-1. Lopez said they played well in the second half on Sunday.

"We did much better controlling the ball in the second half," he said. "But we still need to work more on being faster because the pace of the game was really slow. We controlled the ball a lot and that was something that I liked. We just have to get faster."

WNCC scored just two goals in the contest, but easily could have had another four as they missed on some prime scoring opportunities in the second half. Still, the way the team was playing defensively, two goals were enough.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the first half as Marcel Sales took a pass from Maguel Leon and planted the ball firmly in the back of the net. The game stayed that way until the second half when the Cougars scored at just six minutes into the second 45-minute half.

This time Sales was on the assist side as the sophomore delivered a pass to freshman Jose Netto in the middle of the field. After a brief pause, he delivered a rocket into the net for the 2-0 lead.

After that, WNCC had four great scoring opportunities but Hesston's goalkeeper Perry Andre came up with two huge saves to thwart the scoring changes for the Cougars.

The Cougars defense was stellar as the Larks had just one corner kick in the contest, which came with about five minutes left in the game. The Cougars finished with six corner kicks. WNCC also out shot Hesston 14-8 as Rodriguez finished with four saves.

Lopez said this win was needed as they head into a home Region IX contest on Saturday against Northwest College at the Landers Soccer Complex. The contest is slated for a noon start.

"This win will help us a lot for the next games that we have. This is huge for us to win against a good team like we did."

WNCC volleyball picks up two more wins

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team continued to shine at the Reiver Classic Saturday, picking up two more wins to finish the tourney with a 4-0 mark.

The Cougars opened the second day with a sweep over No. 2 Missouri State-West Plains 25-20, 25-18, 25-21. WNCC then took care of Jefferson College 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21.

WNCC head coach Giovana Melo said they played well, especially against West Plains, who defeated the Cougars in the semi-finals of the national tournament last November in five games.

"i think the girls came out really strong and played a really good match against West Plains," Melo said. "We knew what we had to do. We had a little bit of a game plan and they executed it. We were able to come out with a really good win."

The sophomores also had a little bit of revenge in their mind but Melo said that really didn't play a part since both teams are different from a year ago.

"They had a little bit of revenge in their minds, but at the same time we knew it was a completely different team for them as well for us," she said. "We knew going into the match we couldn't think about the past but the present. But, I think for the sophomores it felt good to beat them after last year at nationals."
Debora Araujo paced the Cougars with 11 kills, nine digs and three blocks, while Tania Torres and Lais Soares each had seven kills. Torres also chipped in five blocks in the win.

Also for the Cougars, Kuulei Kabalis had 13 digs, six points and three aces, followed by Fernanda Goncalves with 28 set assists and Kathryn Stock with six kills.

The Jefferson match was a little closer as the Cougars won in four games. Melo said that it was good that they lost a game to see how they respond to a defeat.

"I think it was good for us to lose a game because it shows us that we have a ways to go and a lot of things to work on," she said. "I did not feel like the last game against Jefferson we had a good match. Still, we played as well as we possibly could and it was good to come out with a win when we are not playing to the best of our abilities."

Three Cougars finished with double-figure kills. Araujo and Stock paced the team with 13 kills each followed by 10 kills from Ariel Austin. Araujo finished with a double-double as she collected 16 digs in the match. Stock had a nice all-around game with six points and three blocks.

Also for the Cougars, Soares had eight blocks, Goncalves had 47 set assists, and Kabalis had 19 digs.

Overall, Melo was pleased with the way her team played in the two-day tournament.

"i think there was good competition here," she said. "We were able to come home with four wins."
It gets tougher next week as the Cougars head to Salt Lake City for a tournament where they will play No. 1 College of Southern Idaho and No. 3 Salt Lake Community College.

"Obviously we will face just as good competition as we did this weekend in teams that are ranked above us," Melo said. "It will be good for us to meet the challenge to see what we can do and where we are at."

WNCC women top Hesstin 9-0 in season opener

Kristy Blicharz had three goals and the Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer team opened their season in thundering fashion in posting a 9-0 win over Hesston College Saturday at the Landers Soccer Complex.

The Cougars scored early, vaulting to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes and never looked back in the win.

Freshman Ashley Gleason, who had one goal and two assists in the contest, said her team played well, including starting strong.

"We talked about how we needed to get some quick goals so we can work on our passes and pattern plays," the freshman from Loveland, Colo., said. "We played really well today. I think we played as a team. We got good passes off and good connecting passes, as well as some great goals."

The two teams will be back in action Sunday at the Landers Soccer Complex for a 10 am. contest. The Cougar men will also face Hesston after the women's contest.

It didn't take WNCC long to get on the scoreboard. Three minutes into the game, Blicharz took a pass from Gleason and planted it firmly in the back of the net. WNCC went up 2-0 a minute later as Brittney McNeil.

Blicharz nabbed her second goal at the 35 minute mark as she took a pass from Gleason for a quick 3-0 lead.

WNCC added three more goals in the first half to grab a 6-0 halftime lead. Brittany McNeil had the fourth goal with a header as Jordan Lutkin had the assist.

Freshman Fernanda Acorinte also scored a goal from an assist from Leticia Lopez, before Lopez finished off the first half with an unassisted goal.

In the second half, WNCC used a more controlled game, working on passing. Still, the Cougars missed early in the half on two prime scoring opportunities. Finally, WNCC broke the ice as Cristina Soto scored off an assist from McNeil with 20 minutes left in the game.

A minute later, Blicharz recorded the hat trick, scoring her third goal with 18:47 to play off an assist from McNeil. Gleason had the final goal of the night with 11:30 to play for the 9-0 score.

WNCC had 20 shots in the contest compared to just two for Hesston. WNCC goalkeepers Jessica Taylor and Tiffany Snethen each had one save in the game. Both teams had three corner kicks each and there were no yellow cards given.

Gleason said that this was a good first game as they got to work on different phases of their game.

"We have a lot harder teams coming up where the attacking plays won't be there so we needed to work a little on getting our passes together," she said.

As much as the Cougars looked sharp on offense, Gleason said they didn't play a perfect contest as they missed some shots.

"We need to get on frame more [today]," she said. "We need to come out tomorrow and not underestimate them and and work on our fundamentals again. We will work on our connecting passes and crosses.

WNCC volleyball earns two wins at Iowa Western tourney

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team started the season strong by rolling to two wins in the first day of the Reiver Classic at Iowa Western Community College.

The Cougars (2-0) started the Invite with a 25-10, 25-8, 25-13 win over Hutchinson Community College before rolling through Marshalltown Community College 25-8, 25-12, 25-12. The Cougars will have two more games Saturday as they face No. 2 ranked Missouri State-West Plains and then Jefferson College.

WNCC coach Giovana Melo was pleased with how the entire team played in both matches.

"We played pretty well and everyone did a really good job when they got in," Melo said. "We played a really good game against Hutchinson and then everyone went in against Marshalltown and did a good job."

In the opener against Hutchinson, Debora Araujo finished with a double-double collecting 10 kills and 18 digs. Also stepping up was freshman setter Fernanda Goncalves with 26 set assists, five points and two aces.

Emily Hoehn also chipped in 19 digs, while Sierra Schmidt had nine points. Also for the Cougars, Kathryn Stock had five kills, Lais Soares had five kills and four blocks, Tania Torres had five blocks, and Mackenzie Westphal had one ace.

The Cougars flexed their depth in match two against Marshalltown as a plethora of players stepped up. Araujo was big once again, finishing with eight kills, seven digs, eight points and two blocks. Freshman Sara Hirschfeld paced the team from the serving stripe with nine points and four aces. Goncalves finished the contest with 18 set assists, three points and two aces.

Also for WNCC, Stock had seven kills, Torres had five kills, Soares hd three blocks, and Hoehn and Kuulei Kabalis each had six digs.

Melo said that they will have to play just as strong Saturday against to quality teams, including a MSU-West Plains, who defeated the Cougars in the semi-finals at last year's national tournament.

"West Plains and Jefferson are two pretty good teams," she said. "But I think we have been playing pretty good, including the alumni scrimmage. We have the ability to play well and we just have to maintain how we play. We will see how we will come out after [today]."

WNCC soccer men fall to Monroe 4-2

The Western Nebraska Community College men's soccer team started strong, but then faltered in the second half to a hot Monroe Community College team in dropping a 4-2 contest in both team's season opener Friday at the Landers Soccer Complex.

The Cougars scored two quick goals to take a 2-0 lead midway through the first half before the Tribunes ran off four straight goals to capture the victory.

Monroe coach Nelson Cupello said he was pleased with how his young team withstood the 98 degree temperature to post the win.

" The heat was definitely a factor so we subbed quite a few guys. All 19 players got to play so it was a total team win," the Rochester, N.Y. head coach said. "We started eight freshmen and for them not knowing how the college game is played, and showed that we had the jitters by giving up two goals. We settled down in the second half and came back strong. I thought we played strong and we kept them down at their end the whole time and got the result that we wanted."

WNCC coach Todd Rasnic was pleased with his team's play in the first half as they controlled the tempo of the game.

"We did start off well and did some really good things offensively, working the ball well in building up the final third before we were executing on goal shooting," he said. "Unfortunately, in the second half, we played a bit more like freshmen. We had a little bit more pressure on us from our opponent and we didn't build up the field as well as they did the first half. Consequently, that opened up the middle and gave them an opportunity to attack quickly and gave them some quick shots on goal and they put them away."

WNCC wasted little time as sophomore Marcel Sales connected on a penalty kick 14 minutes into the match. FIve minutes later, Sales took a pass from Kurt Wilson and planted the ball firmly into net for a 2-0 lead.

Monroe sliced the lead in half before halftime as Sami Yorulmzlar scored at the 16 minute mark. Salas nearly had the hat trick to put WNCC up 3-1 as his shot hit the side pole and bounced away with 30 seconds left in the half.

The second half was all Monroe as the Tribunes tied the score on a goal by Michael Collis with 25 minutes left to play. Eight minutes later, Yorulmzlar took a pass from Irandy Byron to put Monroe up 3-2. The Tribunes added an insurance goal as Collis recorded his second goal off an assist from Steven Maunnaret.

Both teams had 11 shots in the game and each and each goal keeper had four saves. Vinnie Cainth was in net for Monroe, while Jesus Alvarado was in net for the Cougars.

Both men's teams will be in action Sunday. The Cougars will host Hesston College at noon while Monroe travels to Cheyenne, Wyo., to face Laramie County Community College. Saturday's action at the Landers complex as the Cougar women facing Hesston at 11 a.m. followed by the LCCC men taking on Hesston at 1 p.m.

Rasnic said they have some work to do, but Friday's season opener was a promising start.

"We saw that we have the potential to be a good goal-scoring team and play against teams that are nationally recognized," he said. "That game could have gone either way. I think the guys will get there. hopefully we can build off this game and continue to be better the next time we come out."

Cupello said he also saw promise from his team.

"We have a lot more to grow, but I am happy of how we came back. We showed a little bit of character," he said. "I would love to get these guys [WNCC] to come out east next year. Maybe the community will help raise some money because we would love to have these guys play us at our place."

WNCC volleyball team opens season this weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team definitely is not shying away from competition as it opens the season this weekend at the Reiver Classic at Iowa Western Community College.

The No. 5-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will face a plethora of top 25 teams in the first three weeks of the season as it sets to open the season this weekend at the Reiver Classic at Iowa Western Community College.

The rigorous schedule also includes a home opener on Sept. 15 against No. 6 Iowa Western Community College. It is the first time the Iowa Western has came to WNCC in a non-tournament appearance.

The Cougars, who finished 42-4 and third at the national tournament a year ago, get the season started this weekend against a talented field at the Reiver Classic. WNCC opens the season Friday against Hutchinson Community College at 11 a.m. and Marshalltown Community College at 3 p.m. Saturday’s action will pit WNCC against No. 2-ranked Missouri State-West Plains at 9 a.m. and Jefferson College at 1 p.m.

“This weekend will be a pretty good show of the year will be like,” WNCC third-year coach Giovana Melo said. “The competition there has always been good the past couple of years. There are a couple teams there that are nationally ranked, so it will be good for us to compete against them. So far we have been doing some good things when we play and we have some pretty good talent.”

The following weekend, the Cougars will face No. 3 Salt Lake Community College and No. 1 College of Southern Idaho at the Salt Lake Invitational. Southern Idaho won the national title a year ago, while WNCC defeated Salt Lake for third place. The Cougars title run last season was halted in a five-game thriller to MSU-West Plains in the semi-finals a year ago.

“I set up the schedule this year so we can go play against really good teams,” Melo said. “I want to see where we are at in the beginning and see what the competition is like. The tough early-season schedule will help us to see what we need to do to get better throughout the year.”

This year’s squad is laden with plenty of talent. The Cougars return six players that saw action a year ago, led by outside hitters Ariel Austin and Kathryn Stock, middle hitter Tania Torres, and defensive specialists Kuulei Kabalis and Emily Hoehn. Also returning is Gering High graduate Sierra Schmidt as well as Scottsbluff High’s Mackenzie Westphal, who red-shirted a year ago.

Melo added plenty of fire power to the line-up with the incoming class. This year’s squad has all the makings to be one of the talented teams at the college. Melo is cautious entering the season because they have a rugged road ahead.

“It is good to hear from other people that they think we have a lot of talent and that is nice,” she said. “We do have the talent and we do have a good team. The good thing about last year is we are able to say that we were able to play as a team at the end of the season. So, if we can get to that same point this year, maybe we can be just as good. That is the question with each team year in and year out; we have the talent to be better and good every year, but you don’t know if it will happen because it depends on whether you can play as a team.”

The incoming class adds plenty of talent to the roster and they include three from Brazil, and one each from California, Utah and Nebraska. The three Brazilians include 5-9 setter Fernanda Goncalves, 5-10 outside hitter Debora Araujo, and 5-11 middle hitter Lais Soares. The other incoming players include 5-11 outside hitter Tori Bozzo of Salinas, Calif., 5-7 setter Sara Hirschfeld of Moab, Utah, and 6-0 middle hitter Jodi Huddleston of Scottsbluff.

Melo said they have plenty of depth at the hitting position this season.

“The outside hitting positions is pretty good for us right now. For the system that we play we don’t need tall hitter because we want to play fast,” Melo said. It is really good to know that we have this depth at the outside and rightside hitters. We have different types of players. We don’t have a couple of hitters that are the same – just powerful. We have one that can play the offside of volleyball, we have another one that can jump, and one is real smart and sees the court really well. I think we will have a good mix of outside hitters and they are not the same.”

Melo said that what is important is how the team utilizes the talent. She is anxious to see how this team handles the completion during the first three weeks of the season.

“I want to see them competing against good teams and seeing what we are like when we are behind, when we are ahead, and how we come back when we lose games,” she said. “That is what is important because we are going to be behind, we are going to lose games, and we are going to win games. But what makes a team in how we come back from a loss or being behind.

“I think we should have a pretty good year. I think it will be exciting to have a little bit more competition in our house and I hope they come to watch us and watch us compete.”

2010 Cougar Volleyball Roster

1/7 -- Mackenzie Westphal, 5-10 outside hitter from Scottsbluff; 2 – Ariel Austin, 5-11 rightside hitter from Woodland Park, Colo.; 3 – Kathryn Stock, 5-11 outside hitter from Thibodaux, La.; 4 – Sara Hirschfeld, 5-7 setter from Moab, Utah; 5 – Tori Bozzo, 5-11 hitter from Salinas, Calif.; 8 – Sierra Schmidt, 5-6 setter/DS from Gering; 9 – Debora Araujo, 5-10 outside hitter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil; 10 – Tania Torres, 6-1 middle hitter from Camuy, Puerto Rico; 11 – Fernanda Goncalves, 5-9 setter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil; 12 – Lais Soares, 5-11 middle hitter from Sao Rio Preto, Brazil; 13 – Jodi Huddleston, 6-0 middle hitter from Scottsbluff; 14 – Emily Hoehn, 5-5 libero/DS from Kearney; 15 – Kuulei Kabalis, 5-6 libero/DS from Hilo, Hawaii.

2010 Cougar Volleyball Schedule

August

27-28 – @ Reiver Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

September

3-4 -- @ Marriott Residence Inn Volleyball Invite in Salt Lake City, Utah; 7 -- @ Eastern Wyoming College; 15 – Iowa Western Community College, 7 p.m.; 17-18 -- @ Pizza Hut Invite in Sterling, Colo.; 21 -- @ Casper College; 23-25 – Wyo-Braska Shootout; 28 -- @ McCook Community College; 30 – Otero Junior College, 6 p.m.

October

1 – Lamar Community College, 7 p.m.; 2 – Trinidad State Junior College, 1 p.m.; 8-9 – @ Seward County Community College Invite; 12 – Eastern Wyoming College, 7 p.m.; 14 -- @ Otero Junior College; 15 – @ Lamar Community College; 16 -- @ Trinidad State Junior College; 20 -- @ Northeastern Junior College; 22 – McCook Community College, 6 p.m.; 23 – Casper College, 7 p.m.; 26 – @ Iowa Western Community College; 28 – Northeastern Junior College, 7 p.m.

November

4-6 -- @ Region IX Tournament in La Junta, Colo.; 18-20 -- @ NJCAA National Tournament in West Plains, Mo.

WNCC women's soccer open season Saturday and Sunday against Hesston College

The injury bug has hit the Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team as they prepare for their season-opening games this weekend.

The Cougar women, who finished last season 11-6-1, return eight players as they get set to open the season Saturday and Sunday at the Landers Soccer Complex against Hesston College. Saturday’s contest begins at 11 a.m. while Sunday’s action kicks off at 10 a.m.

“I am a bit concerned with the number of injuries with this team and that is something we will have to sort out before where we head in the future,” WNCC women’s coach Todd Rasnic said. “I think we are getting there and we certainly have demonstrated that we are a group that won’t stop playing until the very end of the game. We have been plagued a little bit in the pre-season by injuries and that has set us back a little bit.”

When they are 100 percent, this women’s team has just as much talent as in years past, including the 2008 team that captured the Region IX championship.

“We do have a good group of sophomores that are back, but the injury bug has affected us in the pre-season,” Rasnic said. “If everyone is healthy, we are fine. We certainly will be a competitive group. We have some real talent on the freshmen side and I think that with combination of the experience of the sophomores will help us build into a good season.”

The Cougars return eight players that either practiced or played for the Cougars a year ago. The six returners that saw action last year include goalkeeper Jessica Taylor and Tiffany Snethen. Also returning are Gering High graduates Jacee Roseberry and Ashley Heimbouch.

Other returners include Jordan Lutkin, Brittany McNeil, Miriam Alfaro and Cristina Soto. McNeil and Snethen red-shirted last season because of injuries.

The sophomores are joined by a talented incoming group, led by sophomore transfer Amairani (Ami) Peregrina of Denver. Peregrina played last season at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Other newcomers that will add quickness to the Cougar line-up include Grace McConnell and Leticia Lopez of Henderson, Nev.; Fernanda Acorinte of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Ashley Gleason, Quincey Jackson, Rachelle Tekler, Kristi Blicharz, and Daisy Rosales all from Colorado.

“I think we have increased our speed at least on the outsides and the wings,” Rasnic said. “If we can use the width of the field to attack, we should have good opportunities to open up the defense and find gaps that we can move through and get some scoring opportunities. But, all that is based off the fact that everyone is healthy and that is where we are struggling at this point. “

This weekend’s contests will not be easy. The last time the two squads faced one other, WNCC came back from a 3-0 deficit to drop Hesston 4-3 back in 2008 on the road. Hesston is guided by first-year coach Bryan Kehr, who comes to Hesston from Bethany Christian Schools. The Larks have a roster of 19 players with just four players from in-state Kansas.

“They are always well coached and because of that well coaching, they end up competing well in every game that they play. That was our experience the last time that we played them,” Rasnic said. “On any given day, a team that is well-coached can come out and play against anybody. So, we have to get our injuries taken care of and put our best team out on the field on Saturday, and hopefully the right team will win.”

Rasnic will use this weekend’s contests as a barometer for the rest of the season and what they need to compete for a regional title, which WNCC will host the latter part of October.

“We want to be in contention for a Region IX title and I think if everybody is healthy, I think that is a potential,” he said. “I have to give this group of girl’s credit. They have fought through the injuries and I think they have showed a lot of mental toughness and are starting to pull together. We are playing well together; I just want to see how we play against a lot of pressure and that is one of the things that will come by playing a few games in our division.”

2010 Women’s Soccer Roster

Jessica Taylor, sophomore from Longmont, Colo.; Jordan Lutkin, sophomore from Gillette, Wyo.; Jacee Roseberry, sophomore from Minatare; Brittany McNeil, red-shirt freshman from Milliken, Colo.; Miriam Alfaro, sophomore from Denver, Colo.; Tiffany Snethen, red-shirt freshman from Rapid City, S.D.; Cristina Soto, sophomore from Longmont, Colo.; Ashley Heimbouch, sophomore from Gering; Leticia Lopez, freshman from Anchorage, Alaska; Grace McConnell, freshman from Henderson, Nev.; Ashley Gleason, freshman from Loveland, Colo.; Quincey Jackson, freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rachelle Tekler, freshman from Kersey, Colo.; Fernanda Acorinte, freshman from Sao Paulo, Brazil; Kristi Blicharz, freshman from Littleton, Colo.; Amairani Peregrina, sophomore from Denver, Colo.; and Daisy Rosales, freshman from Commerce City, Colo.

2010 Women’s Soccer Schedule

August

28 – Hesston College, 11 a.m.; 29 – Hesston College, 10 a.m.

September

4 – Northwest College, 5 -- @ Butler County C.C. in Cheyenne; 8 -- @ Laramie County C.C.; 11 -- @ Hutchinson Community College; 12 -- @ Cloud County Community College; 19 -- @ Garden City Community College; 22 – Laramie County Community College, 4 p.m.; 24-26 -- @ CU Boulder Tournament.

October

2 – Western Wyoming Community College, 11 a.m.; 4 – Iowa Western Community College, 10 a.m.; 6 -- @ Northwest College; 16 -- @ Western Wyoming Community College; 17 -- @ North Idaho College in Rock Springs, Wyo.; 22-24 – Region IX Tournament at Landers Soccer Complex.

WNCC men's soccer team opens season at home Friday

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team couldn’t have asked for a harder opening-season game when they open the season Friday at 2 p.m. at the Landers Soccer Complex.

Monroe Community College out of Rochester, N.Y., will venture to Scottsbluff to face the Cougars on Friday. Monroe comes into the season ranked No. 9 in the pre-season polls.

On top of playing one of the top teams in the nation, the Cougar men enter the season with a young team – 18 freshmen.

WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said his team, after three weeks of practice and two scrimmages, are embarking on the challenge with the nothing-to-lose attitude.

“I think they are ready to go,” Rasnic said. “We have been in preseason for 3 ½ of weeks now and we had a few contests in challenging us to play at a high level. I think the guys are on their way of becoming a stronger team.”

Last season the Cougars were one goal away from capturing the Region IX title, falling to Laramie County Community College 1-0 on a last-minute goal. This year, Rasnic has that same aspiration if not more. But the season hinges on the freshmen class.

“The issue for us right now is that we have 18 freshmen. We have a very young team,” he said. “The experience level of the players is good, but when you step in with a group of 18 freshmen there is a building process that has to take place.

“I think they are on their way of becoming a strong team and we will get a good test on Friday when we play the ninth ranked team in the nation. I think they will come out and be consistently strong like they always are. This is the first time we get to play them and we think it is awesome that they are coming here from New York. We are looking to see where we are at in comparison to the teams that are in the top 10 in the nation as well as giving us an ideal of what we need to build to be as strong as possibly be.”

The Cougar men return just five players from a year ago, led by this year’s captain Pedro Escobar from Las Vegas. Also returning include Chris Guadarrama of Gering, Marcel Sales of Brazil, Kevin Lopez of Aurora, Colo., and Miguel Leon of Puerto Rico.

Intermixing with the five sophomores is a talented freshmen class that includes eight players from Nebraska, including five Lexington High graduates. They include Harry Buerno, Brian Ramirez, Gil Avilez, Roberto Curdiel and Ricardo Marropuia. The other Nebraskans include Alex Ferreyra of Gering, Jesus Alvarado of Cozad, and Andrei Rodriquez of Imperial.

“We have several strong freshmen players and to pick one out of the group of being an exceptional player right now would not be a good thing at this point,” he said. “I think overall of the group of freshmen, 80 percent of that group are able to play at a high level. We can look for some high competitive play this season.”

Rasnic is looking for fierce Region IX play as two more colleges picked up men’s soccer – Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., and Otero Junior College. The Cougar men will have two more home games after Friday’s season opener before hitting the road. That includes a Sunday contest against Hesston Community College and then a Sept. 4 battle against Northwest Wyoming.

“As we start the season, I see a lot of promise in the guys. I think they are where they need to be for this time of the season,” Rasnic said. “I think we will finish strong as long as we continue to improve each game as the season goes along. Monroe has consistently been ranked in the top 10 over the past seven to eight years and we just need to come out and be consistent and put a lot of effort out. As long as we come out and do the best that we can, we will be satisfied and if nothing else, we have an idea of where we need to get to.”

2010 Men’s Soccer Roster

Pedro Escobar, 5-10, Las Vegas, Nev.; Marcel Sales, 5-8, Telemaco Borba, Brazil; Chris Guadarrama, 5-7, Gering; Kevin Lopez, 6-2, Aurora, Colo.; Miguel Leon, 5-6, Caracas, Venezuela; Jose Netto, 5-10, Taguantinga, Brazil; Nestor [Giovanni] Rico, 5-8, Longmont, Colo.; Manolo Garcia-Oronoz, 5-7, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; Luis Tapia, 5-9, Evanston, Wyo.; Corbin Sipfle, 5-7, Longmont, Colo.; David Mathis, 6-1, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Kurt Wilson, 5-3, Sturgis, S.D.; Alex Ferreyra, 5-10, Gering; Harry Buerno, 5-7, Lexington; Brian Ramirez, 5-6, Lexington; Gil Avilez, 5-10, Lexington; Christian Meyer, 5-7, Greeley, Colo.; Jesus Alvarado, 5-6, Cozad; Andrei Rodriquez, 5-7, Imperial; Roberto Curdiel, 6-1, Lexington; Ricardo Marropuia, 5-6, Lexington; Seedy Ali-Sarr, 5-9, Africa.

2010 Men’s Soccer Schedule

August

27 – Monroe Community College, 2 p.m.; 29 – Hesston Community College, 12 noon.

September

4 – Northwest Wyoming, 12 noon; 8 -- @ Laramie County Community College; 11 – vs. Pratt Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.; 12 -- @ Cloud County Community College; 18 -- @ Otero Junior College; 19 -- @ Dodge City Community College; 22 – Laramie County Community College, 2 p.m.; 24 -- @ Team be announced in Boulder, Colo.; 26 -- @ University of Colorado-Gold; 29 – Otero Junior College, 1 p.m.

October

2 – Western Wyoming Community College, 1 p.m.; 4 – Iowa Western Community College, 12 noon; 6 -- @ Northwest Wyoming; 16 -- @ Western Wyoming Community College; 17 -- @ North Idaho College in Rock Springs, Wyo.; 22-24 – Region IX Playoffs at Landers Soccer Complex.

Rasnic, Melo impressed with weekend scrimmages

Mugshots are of WNCC freshman Kristi Blicharz, for the Cougar women, and sophomore Marcel Sales, for the Cougar men.

Western Nebraska Community College soccer coach Todd Rasnic and volleyball coach Giovana Melo saw plenty of good things during their scrimmages this weekend.

The men’s and women’s soccer team faced Midland Lutheran College on Sunday. The Cougar women tied the four-year school 1-1, while the men fell to Midland 3-2. Midland picked up several players from now-defunct Dana College.

The volleyball team found better luck at a round-robin scrimmage at Black Hills State. The Cougar women, who are ranked fifth in the nation, won 11 of 12 games against Black Hills Stat, South Dakota School of Mines, Central Wyoming and Eastern Wyoming. The only game they lost was to Central Wyoming.

Both coaches were using this weekend’s games as a barometer of where the teams sit for when the season opens up for real on Aug. 27.

“I thought both teams performed where I thought they would be this time in the pre-season,” Rasnic said. “We go to every scrimmage of seeing what is working and what isn’t working, and to find out what we need to work on in training. We got really good information from that. We performed well.”

Melo said they did just OK with plenty of room to improve.

“I think after practicing for two weeks together, we did a pretty good job,” the third-year head coach said. “We fought really hard and got better. These games showed us the areas that we need to work on and it shows us the room for improvement we have. Obviously we played well, but we are not even close to where we have to be to compete at a top level.”

Melo said the team is learning to play together as a team during the 12 games at the Black Hills scrimmage.

“We had some really good plays and we had our downs as well,” she said. “I think we have to learn to be a little bit more consistent, but we do have a lot of talent which is definitely a plus. We showed that we can play as a team and we have the team to do that, but we just have to get better every day.”

In the soccer scrimmages on Sunday, both teams had some awesome goals. In the women’s game, the Cougar’s only goal came when freshman Kristi Blicharz went one-on-one with a Midland defender and was fouled in the box. Jordan Lutkin then hit the penalty kick for the score.

WNCC’s two goals in the men’s contest came from a sophomore and a freshman. Sophomore Marcel Sales had the first goal as he put a 25-yard free kick over the Midland defensive wall into the upper 90. The second goal came off a corner kick as Brian Ramirez knocked the ball in off a header from Seedy Ali-Sarr.

Rasnic said on the women’s side, the freshmen competed well.

“They were certainly educated on the physical aspect of the game,” he said. “Playing the four-year schools in scrimmages will give then an idea of what the play in the NJCAA will be like. The women’s player showed well, but we still have a bit of work to do. Defensively we looked fairly strong and we looked strong in the other areas of the field as well. But, we still have some tweaking to do in our midfield and offense.”

Rasnic said both squads have plenty of talented players this year.

“We have several individually-talented players on both squads, but more than that, we have players that have the mentality to work together as a team,” he said. “To me that is what makes championship teams. We are hoping they continue to improve and peak at the right time this year and we can find ourselves deep into the post season. “

Melo is excited about her talent for the coming year as well.

“I think this team is very promising,” she said. “It is just up to us to prove it and work hard.”

The soccer and volleyball teams will each have one more scrimmage this weekend. The soccer team will face Metro State in Denver on Friday, while the volleyball team will have their alumni scrimmage on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Cougar Palace. Before Saturday’s alumni scrimmage, the volleyball team will hold a Pancake Brunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the Cougar Den. Cost is $5.

WNCC volleyball team will hold pancake breakfast on Aug. 21

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will hold a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, Aug. 21 at WNCC’s Cougar Den.

The breakfast will run from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and include all-you-can-eat pancakes and eggs. The cost for the breakfast is $5. The pancake breakfast, or brunch, will serve as a fund-raiser for the program.

After the breakfast, the Cougars will then hold their annual alumni volleyball game beginning at 5 p.m. in Cougar Palace. Cougar volleyball alumni interested in playing that evening need to contact WNCC coach Giovana Melo at melog@wncc.net or at 308-635-6028.

The Cougar volleyball team has been practicing since Tuesday in preparation for the coming season, which kicks off Aug. 27-28 at the Iowa Western Tournament.

WNCC soccer teams to hold alumni scrimmages on Monday

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s soccer teams will hold alumni scrimmages on Monday to showcase the talent on this year’s teams.

WNCC soccer coach Todd Rasnic said there will be a lot of former Cougar players scheduled to come back and play in the scrimmages. The scrimmages will take place on the practice field at the Landers Soccer Complex. The women’s alumni game will kick off at 10:30 a.m., while the men’s alumni game will be held at 6:30 p.m.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams have been practicing for the upcoming season since Monday. Both teams hope to field competitive teams. The women return seven players from last season, while the men have five returners from a year ago.

After Monday’s alumni scrimmages, the two teams will have a scrimmage at Midland Lutheran in Fremont on Sunday, Aug. 15, followed by a scrimmage in Denver against Metro State on Aug. 20. The WNCC men and women will open the season for real on Fri., Aug. 27 when they host a weekend tournament. The men will face Monroe Community College at 2 p.m. and the women will face the Colorado Storm at noon at the Landers Soccer Complex.

WNCC volleyball team ranked fifth in the nation

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team is used to high rankings in the national polls and this year is no different.

The Cougars, 42-4 a year ago, enter the season ranked fifth in the pre-season NJCAA Division I national polls, which was released Wednesday.

Emily Hoehn, returning sophomore who was a part of the Cougars drive to a third place finish at the national tournament last fall, said being ranked fifth gives them that drive on the court.

“I like where we are fifth right now because we can look forward to beating the other teams that are ahead of us,” the Kearney defensive specialist said. “If we are one, then we have no one to look to beat. Being fifth really motivates us and makes us push more in practice to show that we should have been higher.”

College of Southern Idaho, who captured the national tournament a year ago, comes in as the pre-season number one ranked team followed by Missouri-West Plains, Salt Lake Community College, and Miami Dade. WNCC topped Salt Lake for third place last year.

“I think fifth is an OK spot for us,” Hoehn said. “I think it gives us teams to look forward to playing and it makes the fire inside of burning a little bit. It makes me a little mad but at the same time it makes us want to prove that, yes we lost some great sophomores, but we have great talent coming in. As last year’s freshmen, we really have improved.”

Region IX was well represented in the pre-season top 25 polls with four teams earning rankings. WNCC comes in fifth followed by Casper College at No. 18, Laramie County Community College at No. 21 and Northwest College at No. 25. Northwest won the Region IX north title last year and participated at the national tournament.

The rest of the top 10 includes Iowa Western Community College at No. 6, Blinn College at No. 7, San Jacinto College at No. 8, Hillsborough Community College at No. 9, and Temple College at No. 10. WNCC and Iowa Western Community College will face each other in a home and away series. The Reivers will come to Cougar Palace on Sept. 15 while the Cougars will travel to Council Bluffs for a single match on Oct. 26.

Hoehn said, after the first two days of practice, the team is flashing plenty of depth.

“We are showing some promise,” she said. “We will have to mesh a little bit more, but after playing a little bit of 3-on-3, we look pretty good.”

Hoehn said it really doesn’t matter where they are ranked now, it is the end of the season that matters the most. The team has high expectations. They also realize that any team that they play will make them bring their A game.

“It doesn’t matter if we are ranked fifth because everybody will be out to beat us anyway,” she said. “But, we are going to be ready. With this team, we want to go all the way.”

NJCAA pre-season Top 10

1, College of Southern Idaho, 32-6

2, Missouri State University-West Plains, 27-9

3, Salt Lake Community College, 29-9

4, Miami Dade College, 32-5

5, Western Nebraska C.C., 42-4

6, Iowa Western Community College, 42-6

7, Blinn College, 29-4

8, San Jacinto College-Central, 32-9

9, Hillsborough Community College, 30-10

10, Temple College, 23-22

WNCC's Bourdon playing in big tourney in Canada

Here is a nice story on a Cougar softball player that is playing in a top tournament in Canada. Read the story from the local paper in Canada.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Sports/2010-07-30/article-1638993/Pair-of-Aces-bound-for-junior-nationals/1

WNCC volleyball team opens pre-season practice with talent

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball have plenty to play for this seaosn.

With a team motto of "On the prowl for excellence," the Cougars are hunting for another national championship run. After the first day of practice, WNCC's aim for a 12th straight national tournament could be in their sights.

"The season looks great," sophomore Kathryn Stock said before the team's afternoon practice. "I think we had a really good practice in the morning and I am excited for the season. We got to watch the freshmen and they look like they are doing well. We have some good talent coming in and some good talent returning."

Stock is one of seven players that were part of last year's 42-4 team that finished third for the second straight year at the national tournament. Stock said there is no pressure in accomplishing what previous teams have done.

"I don’t really feel pressure to get to the national tournament," she said. "I think it [the knowing that other teams have gone to nationals] is just there and we all have the desire to be national champions. That is one our goal; and we are just going to give it our best.":
The Cougars started that quest for another trip to the national tournament, which this year the tournaments returns to West Plains, Mo., Tuesday with 13 players on the roster. THe team went through specialty practices in the morning and then worked together in the afternoon. The pre-season practices also consist of lifting weights, spinning and other conditioning functions.

The team, in the short time they have been together, are already forming the tight-net camaraderie.

"It won’t take us long to mesh together," Stock said. "We all get along real well outside the court."

Stock, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Thibodaux, La., is one of the six returners that saw plenty of action a year ago Stock earned all-region honors last season. The other key returners include 6-0 Ariel Austin of Woodland Park, Colo.; Sierra Schmidt, 5-6 of Gering, Tania Torres, 6-1 from Camay, Puerto Rico; Emily Hoehn, 5-5 from Kearney; and 5-6 Kuulei Kabalis from Hilo, Hawaii.

Another returner that will add depth at the hitter position is redshirt freshman Mackenzie Westphal of Scottsbluff. Westphal is a 5-10 outside hitter that earned Star-Herald volleyball player of the year honors two years ago.

The sophomores, however, will need to work hard for playing time from a talented freshmen core of players. The newcomers include Sara Hirschfeld, 5-7 setter from Moab, Utah; Tori Bozzo, 5-11 hitter from Salinas, Calif.; Debora Araujo, 5-10 hitter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Fernanda Freine, 5-9 setter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Lais Soares, 5-11 hitter from Sao Jose, Brazil; and Jodi Huddleston, 6-0 middle hitter from Scottsbluff.

Stock said this team has plenty of potential.

"We are going to be good," she said. "I think coach G [Giovana Melo] does a good job of playing who needs to be played. We want to win so it is not always the most important thing to get playing time. Sometimes you have to support your team."

WNCC's first competition will be Aug. 14 when they will participate in a a scrimmage tournament at Black Hills State before hosting their annual alumni scrimmage on Aug. 21. The Cougars will open the season for real the following weekend when they will compete in the Iowa Western Community College.

Stock said they will be ready for the opening competition.

"We have a lot to do but we have a lot of practices before that," she said. "We are just going to have fun and play hard against each other to make us better. We are on the prowl."