Your future, our focus
BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune
Three games over five days capped off the home schedule for the Northwest College men’s soccer team, drawing 1-1 with Casper College on Friday before defeating Gillette College 3-0 on Saturday and Northeastern Junior College 5-1 on Tuesday afternoon.
NORTHWEST 1, CASPER COLLEGE 1
Returning to play in front of the home crowd for the first time in three weeks the Trappers (9-4-2 overall, 5-2-1 Region IX) were seeking a boost to get past the Thunderbirds (6-6-4 overall, 4-1-3 Region IX) and improve on a 1-1 draw a month prior.
Casper College came out strong, putting Northwest on the back foot and threatening to score early.
That breakthrough came just six minutes into the game, sending Northwest searching for answers.
“It’s always a tough battle with those guys (Casper). They always get on the front foot early and the first half from us was poor,” coach Rob Hill said.
The first half continued to follow suit with the early play, and the Thunderbirds went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
The Trappers got their goal in the second half, when Ricardo Farias da Silva rifled one into the back of the net off his left foot to tie the match 1-1 with just under 32 minutes left.
“I felt like that second half was a lot more like us,” Hill said.
Neither team found the breakthrough goal, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
NORTHWEST 3, GILLETTE COLLEGE 0
After the draw on Friday the men turned their attention to the Pronghorns (3-10-2 overall, 1-6-1 Region IX) and tried to achieve a similar result to a 5-0 victory in Gillette in August.
A stronger attack in the first half compared to Friday led to more chances early and often, but Northwest was unable to convert for much of the first 45 minutes.
The one breakthrough came on a left-footed shot by Pedro Miguel Vilaca just inside the 18-yard box, giving Northwest a 1-0 lead at the break.
“Again, I thought the first half we were sloppy,” Hill said.
In the second half, Ben Laybourne extended the Trapper lead out to 2-0 — giving Northwest some breathing room about midway through the second frame.
One final goal came with three minutes left from Paulo Victor Gomez, helping put the finishing touches on the match to give Northwest the 3-0 win.
“In the second half we turned it on and showed who we are,” Hill said.
NORTHWEST 5, NORTHEASTERN JC 1
A couple of days away from the pitch allowed Northwest to rest, giving the Trappers time to focus before taking on the Plainsmen (3-6-2 overall, 2-3-2 Region IX).
Unfortunately for Northwest, it was the visitors that got the quick start.
Two minutes into the game a header was deflected off the crossbar by Trapper keeper Inigo Chavarria Bezunartea, but bounced right to a waiting Plainsman who headed it in the net to make it 1-0 for the visitors.
“It was a soft goal to concede,” Hill said.
Northwest controlled the play, and found its breakthrough 18 minutes into the game.
Farias da Silva put his head on the ball after a free kick found him at the back post, tying the game for Northwest.
Soon thereafter, the Trappers found a second score when Artur Dalifor Kataoka snuck his shot just inside the post to give Northwest the 2-1 lead.
Northwest had more opportunities that were sent over the crossbar, before one more goal helped the Trappers cap off an impressive first half.
Bridger Meyer was the benefactor this time, moving up from his center back role to head home another free kick to give Northwest the 3-1 halftime lead.
The third headed goal of the afternoon for Northwest came early in the second half, when Laybourne knocked one in off a corner kick to give the Trappers a 4-1 lead.
Capping off the match with just nine minutes remaining was Pedro Nunez who slotted one into the goal to give Northwest a 5-1 win and put the Trappers in the driver’s seat for a first round bye in the postseason.
“Our home record was not very good last year and we’ve made it very difficult to play here after not losing any conference games here,” Hill said. “This was one of our best performances in terms of soccer, how we broke the lines and how we got forward.”
FINAL REGULAR SEASON CONTEST
The final contest of the regular season will be in Riverton at 3 p.m. on Saturday against Central Wyoming (5-10 overall, 3-4 Region IX).
The Trappers defeated the Rustlers 5-1 in a match in early September.
“We can’t sit back, sometimes we wait for the opponent and wait to figure them out but we need to be on the front foot and want them to figure us out and cause them problems,” Hill said.
Northwest is currently sitting in a tie for second place in the region with Laramie County Community College, but thanks to a victory in Cheyenne in September the Trappers hold the tiebreaker.
If the Trappers win on Saturday they will lock up an automatic berth in the semifinals, but a loss or a draw and an LCCC win over Western Nebraska would leave the team watching and seeing who would be coming to Northwest next weekend.