Plainsmen Secure Home Playoff Match

Northeastern men's soccer won their tenth game of the season (10-5-1, 7-1-0) in a 2-1 overtime victory against Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., on Saturday, Oct. 12. It was the first win against the Trappers in the history of the men's soccer program.

Northeastern would enter the match seeking revenge from an Oct. 20, 2018 quarterfinal loss where Trappers upset the Plainsmen 3-2. In the first ten minutes, Northeastern created numerous goal-scoring chances but could not find the back of the net. After a tense first half that saw three yellow cards, the teams went into halftime tied 0-0.

Northwest would score the first goal of the match in the 52nd minute when a long free-kick was played into the box and headed over freshman goalkeeper Pelayo Quevedo. Ten minutes later the Plainsmen would answer on an equalizer of their own on a long free-kick when sophomore Carlos Morales passed to sophomore Lukas Lougan who scissor kicked his shot into the side netting. Northeastern would continue their momentum, putting the Trappers on their heels and creating chances. After battling for 90 minutes, the teams headed to sudden death overtime tied 1-1.

After a dominant start to the first overtime, it was freshman Slayter Andolsek's fourth goal of the season that ended the match in the 96th minute on a half volley in the box off a pin-point cross from sophomore Wissem Obeid.

In their second match of the weekend, Northeastern (10-5-2, 7-1-1) traveled to Riverton, Wyo., to take on first-year program Central Wyoming College. The second-place Plainsmen were held to a 2-2 draw against the Rustlers.

After 19 minutes, Northeastern sophomore Carlos Morales scored his second goal of the season on a penalty kick. Just 17 minutes later the match would be tied 1-1 Rustlers' cross was headed past goalkeeper Quevedo.

In the second half, the match remained 1-1 until the 70th minute when Central Wyoming caught the Plainsmen defenders out of position and scored on a fast counter-attack. Northeastern would proceed to miss a penalty kick and numerous chances to tie the match.

In the final seconds of the match, goalkeeper Quevedo passed a free-kick to Andolsek who would smartly pass across the box for Obeid to score his fourth goal of the season and tie the match 2-2. After two, 10-minute overtime periods neither team would find the match-winning goal. It was a day of belief and pride for Central Wyoming as they battled every minute to secure the result against the Plainsmen.

Northeastern needed just one point to secure a home quarterfinal playoff match in Sterling on Saturday, Oct. 26. Northeastern ended the weekend still in second place in Region IX and successfully clinched a home match in the first round of the playoffs.

Next up is their final Region IX match of the 2019 season when they travel to Scottsbluff, Neb., on Saturday, Oct. 19 for a big rivalry match against fifth-place Western Nebraska Community College.