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Lady Trappers Fall 6-0 In Cheyenne
It was a season sweep for the LCCC Lady Golden Eagles soccer team against Northwest College Saturday, as they pitched a shutout against the visiting Lady Trappers 6-0.
“The women’s game, I was actually happy with the way they played,” said NWC head coach Bobby Peters. “It may not seem that way to some people judging by the score, but we were able to possess the ball and get it down into their end a few times, which, at the beginning of the season, that wouldn’t have been possible. The fact we can do that against the No. 12 team in the nation means that we’re making progress.”
The Golden Eagles scored early and often in the first half, finding the back of net five times in the opening frame, including a pair by Shaney McCabe. The Lady Trappers didn’t hang their heads, however, tightening up their defense and allowing just one goal in the second half.
“Out of all of their goals, I think three of them could have been avoided,” Peters said. “We cost ourselves by either overrunning the play or not being in the right position on the field when the ball was coming into the opposing player.”
Peters said he was especially proud of Northwest’s effort in the second half, as the team was able to maintain possession and keep the flow of play out of the backfield.
“They [LCCC] were coming at us; they were trying to score more goals,” he said. “We only allowed one that second half, and that was pretty good to see. That gives us some things to look forward to our last three games that we can definitely improve on.”
Peters had sophomore defender Abbie Hogan mark up on one of LCCC’s best players, and was pleased by the results.
“She [Hogan] was just like a little mosquito just swarming around her, it was nice to see,” he said.
Along with Hogan, the coach also praised fellow sophomore Brooke Seidel.
“I had to move Brooke back, and she’s never played defense, but they both did fantastic. They did what they could to make the game tight,” Peters said.
The game proved costly from an injury standpoint, as two players were lost for the rest of the season — starting goalkeeper Christina Lacek and defensive standout Drew Groll. It was Lacek’s first game back after missing a couple of games due to a previous injury, and she made 12 saves before being injured again. As for Groll, a sophomore, “it’s a sad ending to Drew’s playing career at Northwest,” Peters said. “Christina [Lacek] will obviously be back. They were both just fluke injuries, nothing that the other team did. LCCC wasn’t cheap-shotting — they played a solid game.”
Kenadee Jenkins stepped in at keeper for Lacek, making five saves on six shots in the second half.
“She [Jenkins] makes saves, she’s really become a solid keeper,” Peters said. “Putting her in goal is not a bad thing. She’s someone I thought could step in and start. And if she worked on it hard enough, I think she’s a player that could play at a four-year school.”
The Lady Trappers hosted Western Wyoming Wednesday for their final home game, and will end their season on the road against Northeastern Junior College Saturday and Western Nebraska CC on Sunday. Peters said his team is finding its form with the help of recent additions Treva Robson and Natalia Colicci. That said, the injuries to Lacek and Groll will be felt.
“We’ve started progressing the ball very well, started connecting,” he said. “We’ve found a good form with the new players that we’ve had in there, to where we’re actually able to defend quite well and have a midfield presence going forward. It’d be nice to have Drew [Groll] these last couple of games; she’s done a fantastic job. But we have some players stepping up well enough that can cover for what she had to offer.”