Your future, our focus
Need AT Least One Win At Home
A win this weekend will likely put the Northwest College women’s soccer team into a playoff for the Region IX tournament.
A loss means the Trappers will miss postseason play entirely.
That’s the position the NWC team finds itself in following a pair of road losses over the weekend. The Trappers lost 3-1 at Western Nebraska on Friday and 4-1 at Laramie County on Saturday.
“Right now, if we can get a result this weekend, at least one result this weekend and some other results go our way, I think we can clinch a fourth spot,” NWC head coach Rob Hill said.
Hill said a potential playoff game, in which the winner advances to the region tournament, would likely take place at Western Nebraska if the standings don’t fluctuate too much during the season’s final weekend.
Northwest hosts Trinidad State at 1 p.m. Friday and Otero at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trapper Field.
“We’re still in a position we want to be. We’re in a position where we can hopefully get in a playoff,” Hill said. “If we don’t get a result this weekend, we’re probably out.”
If the Trappers earn a shot at playing in the region tournament, they will return to the site of Friday’s loss, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where the Cougars are 5-1 this season.
Western Nebraska scored in the 10th and 43rd minutes to take a 2-0 lead into the half, and added a third goal in the 59th minute. Northwest freshman Lindsay Irwin scored a superficial goal in the 88th minute off a pass from freshman Taylor Gregory to end the Cougars’ shutout bid.
“They fought hard, just silly errors over the weekend have cost us again,” Hill said.
The Trappers continue to battle shorthanded due to injury.
“We’re not fully fit. We’ve been traveling with only two subs, so we’ve been missing players throughout the season,” Hill said. “We’ve been down to bare bones really.”
The loss earned Western a split in the season series. Northwest beat Western Nebraska 2-1 in Powell on Sept. 19.
Saturday’s match at LCCC didn’t bode any better. Golden Eagles sophomore Erin Elder notched a hat trick as the Trappers continued to allow goals at the worst times.
Elder’s first goal, assisted by Jemma House in the 20th minute, broke a 1-1 tie that lasted all of two minutes. The House-Elder duo connected again in the 43rd minute to give LCCC a 3-1 lead.
“Going in 2-1 would have been bad, but sure enough we conceded again,” Hill said.
Irwin again accounted for Northwest’s only offense, and again her goal in the 18th minute was set up by Gregory.
“We’ve been very tentative and the only person really looking to threat is Lindsay,” Hill said. “We’ve got people that can shoot, they just have that fear of failure.
“We’ve got to be more aggressive and more assertive around the opponent’s box. We’re very tentative around the box and we tend to lack confidence.”
House opened the scoring in the 10th minute on a penalty kick that Hill said a more disciplined defense would not have given up.
“We conceded early, on a silly penalty kick, off a corner kick,” Hill said. “They dribble in and we stab at it.
“We’re just not doing ourselves any favors. We can play with them, just concentration in certain areas of the field where you can’t lose concentration.”
The good news for the Trappers is they get to conclude their regular season at home, where they are 3-2 this year.
The Trappers lost 1-0 in Trinidad on Sept. 12 and 6-0 to Otero in La Junta on Sept. 11.