Your future, our focus
BY RANDAL HOROBIK
Tribune Sports Editor
The Northwest College men’s soccer team stepped back onto the pitch after an 11-day layoff to post a 4-1 non-conference victory over North Idaho on Saturday. The win improves the men’s team to 3-1-2 overall this season.
Gavin LaFollette scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season as part of the Trappers’ offensive assault. Lakeland Florida’s Legofi Crawford added a goal and an assist as Northwest struck for two first-half goals to take a 2-1 lead at intermission. The Trappers added two more goals after the midgame break.
Adrian Elicero and Matheus Vasconcelus netted the other two goals for the Trappers. Zach O’Dell was credited with an assist on one of the plays.
The week was a far different affair for the Trapper women, who played their home-opener against then- No. 11 Laramie County Community College, falling by a 5-0 count. Two days later, the squad took the field against then-No. 14 North Idaho, falling by a 3-0 count.
In both contests, the Trappers were simply unable to sustain any sort of offensive possession for an extended period of time against their nationally-ranked opponents. LCCC scored twice in the first half and three times after intermission while limiting Northwest to just three total shots on goal in the contest.
Saturday’s contest against North Idaho was more a tale of two halves. The Trappers played North Idaho level for the first half of soccer, but a red card issued late in the first half forced Northwest to play the entire second half a player down.
The result, predictably, was a completely different feel to the second half. North Idaho scored just minutes after the resumption of play and added a second goal to their tally shortly thereafter. The team’s final goal of the afternoon came on a penalty kick after an inadvertant hand ball in the box.
Much like the LCCC game, the Trappers were unable to take the pressure off their back row defenders by mounting an offensive charge in the second half.
The Trapper women slid to 1-4-1 on the season with the losses.
Both Northwest College soccer teams return to action this weekend with a pair of games. The teams play return contests at North Idaho. The squads will turn around 24 hours later to take on the University of Idaho men’s and women’s club teams. All four games will take place in Couer D’Alene on the North Idaho campus.