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2-0 Halftime Lead Not Enough At Rocky
The Northwest College women’s soccer team was short of breath and bench on Friday.
The Trappers squandered a 2-0 halftime lead against Rocky Mountain College and lost 4-2 in their third preseason match.
Head coach Rob Hill said Northwest isn’t yet fit or deep enough to compete properly for a full 90 minutes.
“When we got tired in the second half I could see the old habits coming in,” Hill said. “People were not concentrating the same way as before.”
Unfortunately for the Trappers, there’s no one easy fix to their conditioning issue.
First, only 13 players were available for Friday’s match, leaving only two available for substitutions. Secondly, many of those available players are not yet in match shape.
Hill said he hopes Rocky’s comeback win will punctuate a message he’s been trying to deliver for a couple weeks.
“The girls understand that. I think it’s finally clicked,” Hill said. “I think when you go in 2-nil at half, and you feel confident … and you come out 4-2 losers, some eyes opened up on Friday.”
A rash of preseason injuries makes it near impossible to give players proper rest, or to play them only for as long as they are effective.
Instead, Hill might have to alter his team’s gameplay in the second half of matches.
“We might have to change to a low pressure system in the second halves of games until we get fit,” Hill said. “It’s just a different style where you’re not hunting as quickly to get the ball back.”
Hill said it wasn’t a more conservative style, but would help save his players’ legs compared to the ball-hawking style he’d prefer.
It just changes the dynamics a little bit. It changes how aggressive we go at players,” Hill said. “If we haven’t the fitness to do it, there’s no point. It will just leave gaps and we’ll get exposed.”
With so many players out, and with new injuries always a possibility, the Trappers have to come up with a plan to play shorthanded.
“I’m talking with my two assistants about ways in which we can cope with it, otherwise we’re setting up for failure if we don’t face reality,” Hill said.
Freshman Katie Hoff opened the game’s scoring with an opportunistic goal on a rebound.
The Rocky Mountain keeper misplayed a ball off the foot of Trapper freshman Sami Heimer and Hoff was in the right place to put it in.
Sophomore Barbara Fidelis scored later in the first half, also off a rebound.
Freshman Lindsay Irwin took a shot from the left side that was saved, but not held, by the keeper. The ball found Fidelis, who tapped it in for the goal. The defense also looked solid for the Trappers in the first half.
“We’d been working on defensive organization during the game and I felt our shape looked good,” Hill said.
Fitness, however, changed the tone of the game in the second half.
“We only have 13 players available,” Hill said. “We just didn’t have the bodies to replace them. I think in the next week and a half we’ll start seeing people come back.”
Sophomores Taylor Wilde, Taylor Meeks, Makayla Meeks and Ellen Hunsaker, and freshmen Alex Gonzales, Jourdyn Haire and Aimee Kawano are all out, or recovering from various illnesses and injuries.
Aside from her knee injury, Taylor Meeks is making the switch from keeper to outfield player, which requires more stamina.
The Trappers get a final test at Montana State University-Billings at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
While the women have scored only three goals over the course of three preseason games, Hill still stressed the importance of better defense.
“I’d like to continue to improve on our defensive shape and recognize when to press, when to hold, (and to) keep coordinating between defense and midfield,” he said. “We haven’t really worked on any attacking, which I’m not really worried about right now. Attacking is certainly more creative and spontaneous, whereas the defensive side of the game has so many details.”
THIRD POWELL PLAYER ON NWC ROSTER
The Trappers’ health issues opened the door for a third Powell High School grad to join the 2015 squad.
Rebecca Pratt, who graduated in 2014, joins fellow former Panthers Haire and Kawano at Northwest College.
“We’ve never had a Powell girl before and now we have three,” Hill said.
It may be a while until all three play together. Haire (foot) and Kawano (knee) are out with injuries. Kawano will take a redshirt year while Haire’s status is uncertain after walking on as a freshman. Pratt, in the meantime, will do what she can to shore up Northwest’s thin roster.
“She’s a new player and eager to learn,” Hill said.
WHO TO KEEP?
With just one preseason match to play, Hill has yet to name a starting keeper.
The battle for goal is likely between Gonzales and freshman Raven Johnson.
“Alex has had more training than Raven and therefore she’s got a little more experience playing at a higher level, but to be honest with you it’s still up in the air,” Hill said.
As with everything for the women’s team this young season, health is a factor. Gonzales’ knee has given an opportunity to Johnson, a Cody High School grad.
“Raven really did a good job on Friday,” Hill said. “She made some good saves, she’s very athletic. She’s eager to learn and get better.”
Whoever starts the regular season in goal won’t have a stranglehold on the position.
“I really feel like those two are probably going to battle it out this season,” Hill said.