Your future, our focus
BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune
Three matches in five days proved difficult for the Northwest College men’s soccer team, which defeated Lamar Community College 3-1, before losing to Northeastern Junior College 3-0 and Casper College 5-2.
NORTHWEST 3, LAMAR 1
Heading down to northeastern Colorado on Friday, the Trappers (3-4-1 overall, 1-1 Region IX) weekend kicked off against newly formed Lamar (0-5 overall, 0-2 Region IX).
The game did not start strong for Northwest, when Ben Laybourne received a yellow card in the 17th minute, and received a second yellow a minute later to result in a red card.
After playing down to 10 men, Northwest started to adjust its tactics over the final 70 minutes.
“That red card affected the way we rested people and rotated people,” Trapper coach Rob Hill said.
The Trappers got the opening goal of the game when Edwin Martin Wiesner Talero scored in the 67th minute.
Lamar answered nine minutes later, tying the contest at 1-1 with 14 minutes left.
Benjamin Lachaize gave Northwest the lead for good in the 82nd minute, scoring to give the Trappers a 2-1 lead.
Sebastian Diaz added an insurance goal in the 86th minute to give Northwest a 3-1 victory and a 1-0 start in Region IX play.
NORTHEASTERN 3, NORTHWEST 0
After a tiring contest on Friday night due to playing down a man, Northwest came into Saturday with heavy legs against Northeastern (5-2-1 overall, 1-0-1 Region IX).
“Going into Saturday we had people playing more on Friday than we probably should have because of that red card,” Hill said.
The Trappers hung with the Plainsmen throughout the first half, going in with a 0-0 scoreline.
Northeastern got the first goal just after the break, making the score 1-0 in the 53rd minute.
Another goal followed just seven minutes later, extending the lead to 2-0.
The Plainsmen sealed the victory in the 70th minute on a penalty kick to make the final 3-0.
“All credit to them, they executed their plan and we didn’t,” Hill said.
CASPER 5, NORTHWEST 2
After the road trip to Colorado, the Trappers returned home to play No. 11 ranked Casper (8-1-1 overall, 1-0-1 Region IX) on Tuesday.
Casper got the scoring started 14 minutes into the game, when a towering header on a corner kick found its way into the back of the net.
“We lost our markers, we had a little guy marking a big guy which did not make sense,” Hill said.
Northwest had chances on a pair of free kicks from dangerous positions shortly after, but both kicks went into the wall.
The T-Birds extended the lead in the 23rd minute on a curling shot that found the top right corner to make it 2-0.
A free kick just three minutes later found its way to an open player on the back post to make it 3-0.
Northwest had a chance to cut into the lead in the 30th minute when Lachaize earned a penalty.
Laybourne stepped up, but Casper’s keeper guessed the right direction and saved the low shot.
Casper made the lead 4-0 in the second half on a penalty of their own, putting the Trappers even further behind.
Northwest got its first goal of the game in the 69th minute when Kurtis Richins found his way behind the defense to make it 4-1.
“The two most consistent scorers are John Joe Mullane and Kurtis, and it is no surprise that they are the two hardest workers up front,” Hill said. “It shows the reward you can get when you are willing to work.”
Casper extended the lead out again seven minutes later, when two headers connected to make it 5-1.
Northwest earned another penalty but Arthur Dalfior Kataoka sent the shot wide right.
Richins got his second goal of the game with two minutes left, to make the final score 5-2.
HOME STAND
Northwest stays home this weekend, taking on two opponents from southern Colorado.
The Trappers start first against Trinidad State (0-4) on Friday at 2 p.m.
Northwest finishes the weekend against Otero Junior College (0-3-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
These will be the Trappers’ final home games until returning home Oct. 14 to round out the regular season.