WNCC’s Lourenco scores hat trick in 7-6 win over Northwest

WNCC’s Lourenco scores hat trick in 7-6 win over Northwest
(WNCC)
September 26th, 2022 | WNCC Sports Information

Western Nebraska Community College’s Sara Lourenco scored a hat trick and Aileen Perez had two goals as the Cougar women overcame a 3-1 halftime deficit to top Northwest College 7-6 in action Saturday afternoon at Lander’s Soccer Complex.

The seven goals scored on Saturday is the most since Sept. 1, 2019, when the Cougars scored 12 goals in a match against Dakota County Technical College.

Lourenco said the team played well, especially in the second half when they overcame that 3-1 deficit.

“We kept our heads up and didn’t give up. We played till the end,” the Colider, Brazil, native said. “The second half we were more motivated and decided to fight even with the score not being the best for us.”

When the two teams faced each other earlier this month, WNCC won 5-1, so when the Cougars trailed 3-1 at halftime on Saturday, it sort of lit a fire underneath them.

Lourenco wasn’t the only player to score a hat trick in the game. While Lourenco scored three second-half goals, Northwest’s Zoey Bonner had a hat trick in the first half.

Lourenco said that while she feels happy to have the hat trick, she is even happier to help the team to a win.

“I feel really happy about the goals because I’ve been working hard for it, but what makes me more happy is to be able to help the team to get the win,” she said.
Saturday’s win was a big confidence boost for the team after falling to Casper College on Friday 1-0 in overtime.

“Today’s game was really important for us because we were able to bring our confidence back,” Lourenco said. “So, I am really happy and grateful.”

WNCC started the match off with two quick shots that failed to go in, which was something that happened Friday afternoon where the Cougars couldn’t find the back of the goal. With 36:22 to play in the opening half, Vanessa Vasquez took a pass from Perez and found the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

The lead only lasted five minutes as Northwest’s Bonner scored with 31:33 to play off a free kick to tie the match.

WNCC had chances to go ahead, but couldn’t find the net, including three straight corner kicks. Northwest went up 2-1 with 21:11 left in the half when Bonner scored once again. Bonner got her hat trick with 10:30 to play in the opening half off another free kick for the 3-1 halftime lead.

The first five minutes of the second half was nuts as the two teams scored four goals. The scoring all started when Perez took a pass from Tania Razo and found the net from inside the box.

A minute later, Perez scored again off a corner kick to tie the match at 3-3. WNCC went up 4-3 with four minutes gone in the opening half when she scored. Northwest tied the game at 4-4 when Quetzalli Penaloza took a pass from Torrington’s Kameron Stitt and scored with 40:06 left in the match.

Neither team scored again for the next 30 minutes and it seemed like the match would end up in overtime. That wasn’t the case as Northwest scored as Peyton Roswadovski scored on a penalty kick with 11 minutes to play.

The Trappers lead didn’t last long as Lourenco scored her first goal from just outside the box on the right side with 10 minutes to play. Lourenco put the Cougars up 6-5 just 17 seconds later when she took a pass from Vicky Granda and sent the ball into the net from about 30 yards out.

Lourenco got her hat trick with 7:04 to play as she scored from about the same spot as the previous goal for the 7-5 lead. Northwest made it a one-goal contest when Alexzia Garcia scored with 20.5 seconds to play.

WNCC out-shot the Trappers 29-13 and had four corners to three for the Trappers.

WNCC, 6-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play, will have next weekend off before they hit the road to face Laramie County Community College on Oct. 8 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

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