CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's soccer team had different outcomes in non-conference matches against Casper College on Monday in Casper, Wyoming.
The Cougar women went to 3-1 on the season as they got two goals from Vanessa Vasquez and played strong defense in getting the 3-2 win over the Thunderbirds.
The Cougar men weren't as fortunate as they battled hard, tying the match late, but then fell 4-2 to the 12th-ranked team in the NJCAA.
Vasquez said it took awhile for the team to get going and woke up after Casper scored early in the match.
"I think today was tough because we had played on Saturday and practiced on Sunday so, as a whole, we were tired but we had to pressure Casper to see how they would react first," the sophomore said. "Then we had to adapt quick to the way the Casper team responded and we started to make them do the work and we started to move the ball around in order to conserve as much energy as we could. But I would say playing as a unit and giving everything we had was what gave us the win today."
That first goal in the opening minutes really woke the team up.
"I think their goal was a mistake from the team as a whole and not really meant to go in, but I also think it lit a fire under us and made us wake up. I think we still had the game under control even with the first goal and I think we just started working harder and we all started applying everything that we've been working on the whole week leading up to this weekend. We had to be patient and keep working the opposing team and moving the ball around until we saw the right opportunities to try and score. We kept pressing the other team and trying to find those gaps and I think our goals were just won from all the hard work of our team and I think the support we have for each other, I also think we wanted it more and we wanted to get early goals because we knew that as a whole we were tired from the previous game."
Casper netted the first goal in the opening minutes from Apassara Cella. That goal put a fire under the Cougars and they dominated play the rest of the half as they peppered the net consistently. Tania Razo tied the match at 1-1 when she found net 15 minutes into the match.
Vasquez put the Cougars in front about nine minutes later when she took a pass from Lesley Vazquez for the 2-1 lead. Ten minutes later, Vanessa Vazquez took a pass from Razo and scored to put WNCC up 3-1 going into halftime.
The second half was a defensive encounter as the only goal came from Casper in the 66th minutes when Grace Conner scored to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Cougars defense helped the team win as they only allowed seven Casper shots to 11 for the Cougars. WNCC also had eight cornerkicks to just four for the Thunderbirds.
Vanessa Vazquez, who had six shots with four on goal, said the defense played great.
"I think our defenders worked so hard today, they were getting punished so much by the opposing team but I think they took every hit and they kept strong," she said. "I think they worked so much because the Casper team liked to play long and our defenders had to run so much, but I think they were a very important key to our victory today. They were being pressured and they maintained as a unit and our center backs Yoseline (Yoseline) and Yazmin (Natalya Baird-Watson) were really giving us their all and we're the reason we could work and have that win today.
"Even though the second half Casper was pressuring a lot more and our girls were tired they kept holding their ground when we didn't have as much energy to keep pushing them, and I think their second goal was a mistake from the team and know that all our defenders put their life on the field today."
WNCC also got three shots each from Razo, Baird-Watson, Lesley Vasquez, and Andrea Jimenez, whole Aileen Perez had two shots
A big reason for the win for the Cougar women was the support each other gave as well as the encouragement from the men's team.
"I think as a whole, the team worked so great today even though we were so exhausted," Vanessa Vasquez said. "I think that without the support from each other and from our guys' team we might of had a different outcome but think that putting everything we've learned and continue learning will just keep moving us forward and I'm excited to see what else we can accomplish as a team."
The Cougar men also had plenty of support and plenty of fight as they battle back from a 2-0 deficit and make the Thunderbirds nervous of a possible upset.
Casper led 1-0 at halftime after Jesper Van Halderen scored in the 22nd minute for the 1-0 halftime lead.
Casper went up 2-0 when they scored in the 60th minute off another Jesper Van Halderen goal off a free kick.
WNCC was about to give up as they battled back to tie the match. In the 65th minute, Luis Escobar scored to slice the deficit in half off an assist from Tom Pelzer. About five minutes later, those same two players hooked up again as Escobar scored his second goal of the match to tie the game at 2-2.
Casper retook the lead at 3-2 after a Lewis Gordon penalty kick went into the net. But, WNCC wasn't finished as they kept battling trying to tie the match once again. And, they almost did late in the game as the Cougars were peppering the goal and building up the offense. From about 30 yards out, Pelzer launched a shot that hit the cross bar and almost went in, but it bounced out.
Casper got a late score in the 86th minute from Jayden Chudeu for the final 4-2 win.
Casper outshot WNCC 17-12 in the contest and the Thunderbirds had five cornerkicks to three for the Cougars.
Rodrigo had four shots in the contest while Escobar was a perfect 3-for-3. Matheus Nascimento also had two shots.
WNCC will open up the conference season next weekend when the men and women will travel to Riverton, Wyoming, to face Central Wyoming College on Friday. The Cougar women will then head to Rock Springs, Wyoming, to face Western Wyoming on Saturday.