WNCC men pick up win, women fall in Casper

                CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team put together a solid defensive effort and recorded the 1-0 shutout against Casper College on Saturday in Casper, Wyoming, in a non-conference contest. 

                Casper College, who was one of the top teams in Region IX a year ago, was thwarted by a strong Cougar defense as WNCC picked up their second win of the young season. 

                It was a match that the defensives took center stage, especially in the second half. WNCC was outshot in the contest 10-3. 

                The only goal, however, came from WNCC and it came early in the contest as Isrrael Rodriguez took a pass from Guilherme Lindolfo and planted it in the back of the net in the 22^nd minute. WNCC enjoyed the 1-0 lead at intermission. 

                After the goal, that was when the intensity picked up and neither team could get the ball into the back of the net. WNCC’s goalkeeper Hernan Burdiles had six saves in net while Casper’s Hugo Amo had two saves. 

                WNCC, 1-1-1, will be back in action Monday when they travel back to Casper to face Central Wyoming College in another non-conference contest. WNCC will then open the conference schedule next weekend at home when they host Northwest College on Friday and Central Wyoming College on Saturday.

WNCC women fall to Casper 

                CASPER, Wyo. – It has been two weeks since the Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team played an actual contest that counted when they tied Iowa Lakes Community College 3-3 on August 19. 

                Saturday afternoon, the Cougar women competed for much of the contest as the Cougars trailed Casper just 2-0 at halftime, but by the end of the contest, the Thunderbirds scored five second-half goals to earn the 7-1 victory. 

                The first half was a battle between the two squads as the only two goals scored in the opening half came from Casper’s Macy Sickler and Emma Goetz as the two teams entered intermission with Casper leading 2-0. 

                The start of the second half was competitive as Casper scored early on a Gabrielle McVay goal, but the Cougars came back to add a goal to make it 3-1 as Yasmin Urbina scored off a Tania Razo assist. 

                Both teams kept battling, but the Thunderbirds scored four goals in the final 25 minutes to earn the 7-1 non-conference win. 

                WNCC, 0-1-1 on the young season, will be back in action Monday when they face Central Wyoming College in a non-conference contest. The Cougar women will then open the conference season next weekend when they host Northwest College on Friday and Central Wyoming College on Saturday with both women’s contests beginning at 1 p.m.