CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND: WOMEN SET TO HOST FIRST TITLE GAME

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Two goals from freshman Elliasen Lewis made the difference in the semifinals on Saturday in Rock Springs, as the Northwest College women's team defeated Western Wyoming Community College 2-0 to advance to its first ever Region IX Championship game in Powell this Saturday.   

NORTHWEST 2, WESTERN WYOMING 0
Heading on the road for the semifinal the Trappers (11-3-2) sought revenge as the No. 3 seed against the No. 2 seeded Mustangs (11-7-1) who defeated them 2-1 in Powell in September.

Northwest started out firing from the start, as Lewis combined with Pressly Taylor to find her way behind the defense, slotting home the shot to make it 1-0 inside the first 3:30 minutes of the game.

"It was a very good goal right off the training ground," coach Rob Hill said. "A good combination between those two, a good controlled finish."

The early goal gave the Trappers the advantage, but Hill said that sometimes an early goal can lead to a long contest as more than 85 minutes still needed to be played.

"You love to score early but then it's a long time," Hill said. "You really need that second goal, we were on the front foot trying to get it. We were very much in control."

Throughout the first half the Trappers were not challenged, and went into halftime in control up 1-0.

Still needing a second goal, the Trappers continued to press early in the second half, once again scoring via the combination of Lewis and Taylor.

Taylor found Lewis, who then weaved her way behind the defense and put it into the net to make it 2-0 with 36 minutes remaining.

"We were very much in control, there wasn't a lot of threat we had to deal with," Hill said. "There wasn't anything we were worrying about."

Hill said that late in the contest the Trappers panicked at times, but held off any scoring threats from the Mustangs.     

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
After another upset on Saturday, the Trappers are set to host the first Region IX Championship Game for soccer in school history, men's or women's, taking on Laramie County Community College (10-4-3) at 1 p.m. at Trapper Field.

"We got word with seven minutes left that LCCC had beat Casper," Hill said. "We've never done it before, there was excitement all around. It's well deserved. Other than a couple games where we've been inconsistent we've had a good season."

The Golden Eagles come to Powell as the defending Region IX champions, a team that has won the Region IX championship 14 times in the last 21 years and has placed as high as third at the national championships.

Northwest and LCCC fought to a 2-2 draw in the final game of the regular season, with the Trappers coming back from a 2-0 halftime deficit against the visitors.

"We know we're in for a hard game against LCCC," Hill said. "I expect the girls to have high standards."

He said he knows that a championship game can be nerve wracking for a team, but is hoping his team can treat it like a normal game in front of the home crowd.

"They [LCCC] can cause so many problems for us, we just have to be ready to play," Hill said. "It's the furthest this team has gone. The first time for these players, they'll be nervous but it's just another game and they have to be focused. They've got a lot to be proud of … It's just another game and that's how we have to look at it. If we can do that, the best team will prevail."

With the weather growing colder the Trappers anticipate battling anything on Saturday, with the team practicing in the cold and wind this week before taking to the field.

"We have to be prepared for all those different scenarios," Hill said. "The only thing you can do is train in it and hopefully the players will adjust to it."

Northwest will be giving out different items to help support the Trappers at the contest including rally towels and vuvuzelas.

The winner of the Region IX final will continue its season in Wichita, Kansas, at the NJCAA National Tournament starting Nov. 17.