Plainsmen Advance On

The Plainsmen soccer team was on the road for the first round of Region IX playoffs.  The men were a lower seed in the south, which meant they had to travel for the quarterfinal game, with the winner traveling to Denver for the semifinal and final games.  The game would be played in Rock Springs, WY against the Western Wyoming Mustangs.  Both times these teams played, the Plainsmen would have the advantage by defeating them each time.  Knowing that it is hard to defeat a team three times in a season, especially on their home field, they knew they had a tough game in front of them.

The first half was shaping up to be a game when both teams had some trouble getting it through the defense.  But in the 9^th minute, Brodie Hayes received a pass from Joseph Godoy that he was able to blast in the back of the net to give the Plainsmen the 1-0 lead.  The Plainsmen knew there was a lot of time left in the game, so they needed to keep playing solid defense as well as keep pressuring them looking to score.  In the 29^th minute however, the Mustangs were able to tie it 1-1 when they snuck one past Clement May.  As the first half horn blaring, the Plainsmen knew they needed to keep their energy and momentum rolling into the second if they wanted to advance in the tournament.

In the second half, being all tied up, the Plainsmen didn't feel as if there was pressure on them like they were ahead or behind, it was just another half for them to play and try to get the game winning goal.  As time ticked in the second half, no one had scored, and the game was one for the ages.  With under five minutes remaining, Joseph Godoy would put the ball in a prime place for Paul Liagre to score and give the Plainsmen the 2-1 lead.  With little to no time left, the Plainsmen knew they had to play solid defense and not let the Mustangs score a cheeky goal by catching them off guard.  In the end, Northeastern was able to fend them off and get the 2-1 victory, allowing them to advance in the tournament.

With that victory, the Plainsmen will know play in the Region IX semi-finals held at Regency Athletic Complex at Metropolitan State University of Denver.  They will play against the Western Nebraska Cougars with game starting at 1:30pm.