Yavapai too much for NIC
The North Idaho College men’s soccer program has come a long way in the last two seasons.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that progress didn’t translate into a victory against highly-touted Yavapai College Saturday in the NJCAA West Division finals at NIC’s Eisenwinter Field.
The unbeaten Roughriders, ranked No. 2 in the nation, escaped Coeur d’Alene with the championship in a 2-0 victory that might just as easily have swung in the Cardinals’ favor.
Yavapai (22-0-1), which scored goals in the eighth and 60th minutes and played outstanding defense throughout, advances to the national tournament Nov. 16-19 in Tyler, Texas.
NIC coach Scott Moorcroft, upbeat despite defeat, gave full credit to the Roughriders.
“They’re a great team,” Moorcroft said of Yavapai, who defeated NIC 4-1 in the title match last season on their home field in Prescott, Ariz. “They’re the best team in the country right now; they’ve won five national championships and I’m sure they’re planning on competing for the national championship this year – they have every year.
“I think, coming into this game, we knew they were going to be talented and skilled and fast.”
Moorcroft also had nothing but praise for his Cardinals.
“I thought we played a great match,” he said. “Every guy that stepped on the field today left everything they had on the field.”
Defenseman Tim Kelly scored the first goal for Yavapai when he controlled a carom after a corner kick and punched it in past NIC keeper Seth Baker.
Baker, a freshman out of Sandpoint, kept the Cardinals close with seven saves in the match.
NIC (11-4-1) had its best chance to tie the match in the 53rd minute, when Yavapai keeper Garrison Goodner was unable to control a high pass. Cody Steele, a freshman out of Coeur d’Alene, found himself right next to Goodner 18 yards out with only the ball and an open goal in front of him, but his shot went wide right.
The Roughriders got their insurance seven minutes later on a shot by Colby Swensen.
“Both the goals they got, they weren’t tremendous goals, but they earned them both,” said Baker. “Their defense shut our offense down the whole game – they’ve got some crazy record of only allowing 34 goals in the last 18 years or something.”