The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team controls their own destiny after going into sole position of the top spot in the Region IX standings after games this weekend.
The Cougar men went 1-0-1 on the weekend and it puts them a half-game in front of Laramie County Community College in the standings with three conference games to play before the Region IX playoffs begin.
WNCC started the weekend with a 3-0 win over Trinidad State College on Friday and then earned a 1-1 tie with Otero College Saturday evening. WNCC is 5-0-1 in the conference while LCCC is 5-1. The Cougars are 6-3-2 overall while LCCC is 8-2.
Next Saturday will be the defining match as WNCC travels to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to face Laramie County with the winner taking the lead in getting one of the two byes in the Region IX playoffs and a chance to host a semifinal match October 26.
Friday’s win was one where they Cougars scored three second-half goals to earn the 3-0 win.
Just three minutes into the second half, Alvaro Abeal took a pass from Anthony Lemus for the 1-0 lead. A minute later, Lemus scored to make it 2-0 after taking a pass from Guilherme Lindolfo.
WNCC made it 3-0 when Paul Denz had an unassisted goal.
WNCC had 12 shots in the contest to just two for the Trojans.
Owen Henderson had three saves in net for the Cougars.
Saturday’s contest was a defensive battle with not a lot of scoring but a lot of shots.
Both teams scored a goal in the first half. Otero scored first in the 23rd minute on a goal by Breno Andreucci. WNCC tied the match in the 40th minute when Maxime Niyibaho scored an unassisted goal.
Neither team scored in the second half. Otero had 12 shots on goal while WNCC had nine.
Henderson had five saves in net for the Cougars.
