Multidimensional Lee sends North Idaho packing
One needs only to look at Western Nevada’s roster to ascertain what Hannah Lee’s contribution has been on the soccer field this season.
Listed as playing “all” positions for the Wildcats, Lee outdid herself on Saturday.
Lee scored 3 minutes into overtime to lift Western Nevada to a 1-0 victory over North Idaho in the NJCAA Region 18 championship game at Eisenwinter Field.
The Wildcats (10-8-2) avenged two defeats against NIC earlier this season. The victory propelled them to a NJCAA district tournament matchup against the Region 9 champion in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday. NIC’s season is over at 11-4-2.
“Was I nervous?” Western Nevada coach Hillary Arthur asked rhetorically. “I haven’t been able to eat or sleep all week. This is what I kept imagining, and I knew we had the potential to do it.”
After the two teams failed to record a goal in 90 minutes, Lee exploited an opening in NIC’s defense. Courtney Lenhart delivered a precise pass to Lee, who chipped a shot past charging Cardinals goalkeeper Makayla Desjarlais for her fifth goal of the season.
“Just for a little instant, I saw everyone just stand and stare and watch,” NIC midfielder Brooke Donnelly said. “They got a breakaway, and (Desjarlais) had to come out. I think we panicked for just a second when we saw (the pass).”
Western Nevada continuously flustered NIC with a bevy of offside traps, and the Cardinals never figured out a way to counter the tactic. NIC wasted several goal-scoring opportunities with balls bouncing off the crossbar or sailing just wide of the net, but ultimately it was the Cardinals’ self-inflicted woes on offense that led to their undoing.
Sophomore forward Holly Meyer had two breakaway chances in the first half, but she and her teammates up front rarely saw the ball after halftime until the final 10 minutes of regulation.
NIC couldn’t construct offense out of the back, instead often relying on kicking the ball aimlessly down the field.
“That was the hardest part of the game,” Meyer said of the Wildcats’ constant traps. “Our forwards are so fast, so explosive. When they played the trap, though, it shut us down completely. We never adjusted. … We were trying to play balls over the top, and we didn’t utilize our speed well enough.”
NIC coach Dan Hogan said halftime adjustments called for the Cardinals midfielders to push ahead and overlap with the forwards to create matchup problems and apply more pressure on Western Nevada’s defense.
Because the Cardinals were scrambling simply to control the ball for much of the final 45 minutes, they couldn’t build the offensive attack Hogan envisioned.
“I’m disappointed because we talked about (the traps),” Hogan said. “But I think in playoff games, emotions can take over the thought process, and you don’t play as smart.”