Posted: Aug 24, 2016

Plainsmen Draw with Snow College to Open Season

By Brennen Rupp, JA

The Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen opened the season Monday with a 2-2 draw against Snow College. NJC head coach David Groves is pleased with the way his team fought back from a 2-1 deficit to force a draw.

"I think the biggest positive for us is that we fought back," he said. "I know the guys were disappointed and felt like they could have won the game. I'm sure Snow felt the same way. It was a back and forth game. Anytime you fight back and you're able to get a point out of it that's always a positive thing. Once our player and their player got the red card I think that changed the dynamic of the game. Us coaches were in a situation where we didn't want to lose and the game petered out after those red cards."

Change Vang got the scoring started for the Plainsmen with a goal around the seventh minute. Snow College got on the board with a goal during the closing moments of the first half. If NJC hadn't given up that goal before the half Groves believes his team would have come away from the game with a win.

"The dumbest thing you can do in soccer is give up a goal right before halftime," Groves said. "I thought at that moment Snow College had control of the ball. They were pushing us and being aggressive. At that time we needed to get together and kick the ball long or kick it in the parking lot. I don't care just get it out of our goal. We didn't manage the game well in that situation. I honestly think if we went into the half leading 1-0 I think we would have won. We need to work on our discipline. It's early in the season and these guys have really only been together for 10 days. Those things will come with time."

Groves said he was impressed with the effort from goalkeeper Miguel Ramirez.

"I thought Miguel had a great game," he said. "He came up with a big save at the end of the second half. Miguel isn't 6-4 and doesn't have long arms. He's just so focused and he's such a competitor. He's going to give it 100 percent all the time. You know what you're going to get from him. For me, I value those qualities. When we needed him he came up with big saves. I thought he played extremely well."

The Plainsmen will be back in action Thursday, Aug. 25, against Western Wyoming Community College. Groves said that there may be some positional changes in the team's second game.

"I think a couple of positional changes are necessary," he said. "Ryan Maulsby got the assist on the second goal. He was playing defense and we moved him up to the wing and he played well up there. I thought the guys that came in as subs defensively kept us strong there."