Plainswomen open Regional Play 1-1

Plainswomen open Regional Play 1-1

Region IX play kicked off September 13th, with the Plainswomen suffering a heartbreaking OT loss at Otero Junior College. Northeastern came into the game with a 3-2 record which included the first 3-game win streak in program history. Otero entered the contest 2-3. Northeastern scored the opening goal in the fourth minute of the game. On a corner kick, the ball made contact with a couple of different players before Deljanae Coleman tapped it into the back of the net for her first goal at NJC. Otero answered with two goals from long, direct balls, and the Rattlers held a 2-1 advantage at halftime. Despite the hot weather, the tempo stayed high into the second half and both teams had chances to score the next goal, which would be crucial to the outcome. Northeastern’s Fernanda Rios found Madelyn Rivera on the right flank to tie the game at two apiece.

 

The game headed into overtime with the golden goal rule in place-- the first team to score wins. In the second minute of OT, Yadira Ramos sprang Rowan Horstmeier in behind the Otero backline. Horstmeier beat the center defenders to the ball but was denied by a great save from the Rattlers keeper. Unfortunately, this shot lead to a counterattack, and Otero was able to advance the ball up the field in two passes before beating Nohelia Pena for a heartbreaking finish to the game.

 

The second game of the road trip was a success as Northeastern defeated Trinidad State Junior College the following day in a Region IX match up. The opening goal was again scored by Northeastern, and again it came from a corner kick. The initial ball headed out by the Trojans fell to Kassidy Loertscher's foot, who then found Jordan Stoner who was just inside the 18-yard box. From the right side of the goal, Stoner laced a nice shot into the upper corner of the near post. NJC continued to create scoring opportunities in the first half. Amber Hurtado beat the Trinidad keeper who had come off her line, and after taking a touch, received a shove from a trailing Trojan defender. The referee pointed to the spot for a penalty kick. Yadira Ramos stepped up to the spot and made good on the opportunity, putting NJC up 2-0. The opportunities continued, as right before half, Emali Ortega had a free kick from 25 yards but was denied by the goalpost. The second half saw Northeastern place a priority in maintaining their advantage. Trinidad received a chance to get back in the game when the referee awarded them a penalty kick after a collision in the box from a cross. They would put the PK past keeper Nohelia Pena, which set up a nail-biting final 15 minutes. The Plainswomen were able to see out the game with a good defensive effort. This defensive effort was consistent for the whole game and was highlighted by Pena making several great saves throughout the course of the 90 minutes.

 

The win moved Northeastern to 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in Region IX play. The Plainswomen are next in action on September 18th, when they take CNCC at home at 2 pm.