Your future, our focus
BY LEO WOLFSON CODY ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Cody Enterprise
Coach Rob Hill said his Northwest College men’s soccer team is playing the best soccer of its season right now, despite falling 2-0 to Northeastern Junior College on Saturday and their four prior contests before that.
“Despite the results of the last couple games we’re actually playing better than we have all season,” he said. “Guys are actually starting to respect each other and play for each other and recognize the value they bring.
“You never know when that’s going to happen, it could happen in the first week, the second week, it just so happens they’re waiting until the last couple of weeks.”
On a team with players from seven different countries, it’s not shocking it took the Trappers (2-9-1) some time to come together and find an identity this fall. Hill said equally important to succeed at the junior college level is for players to develop a high level “soccer IQ.”
“It can be cultural with different styles of play for sure but I think a lot of it is recognizing the strengths and weaknesses within the team and playing to those strengths,” Hill said. “In one country that style of play may work but it’s a little bit more than that here.”
The Trappers held tough with Northeastern on Saturday but fell behind in the 30th minute on a shot to the corner of the net. Northeastern added another goal in the 89th minute and Northwest had no answer.
NWC struggled to find any offensive rhythm throughout, only managing three shots on goal. But on the other end of the field freshman Matias Sandoval made 11 saves in goal.
“There were 2-3 goals I saved,” he said. “But I think the important thing is win, win the game.”
Sandoval is fourth in the nation and first in the Region IX conference with 97 saves, in addition to being fourth in conference save percentage.
Powell native Ashton Brewer has also played four games in goal for the Trappers and earned one start. Hill also said Dorian Terrazas and Sonny Bizure have been leaders for the team.
Northwest will now look to the Region IX tournament where they will play Casper College in the first round on the road Saturday. In their only meeting this season Casper won 4-1.
“We don’t have a bad team, we just need to train more,” Sandoval said.
Hill isn’t concerned about the team’s struggles so far and said he is looking at the playoffs as a new season. He launched the soccer program at Northwest and coached the men’s and women’s teams from 2010-2017, reaching a number of milestones along the way, but never a top conference finish.
“It doesn’t concern me, it’s about these guys coming together at the right time,” he said. “We can beat any team on any day, the talent is there. There’s not a team I fear in this region.”