Nothing easy about it
LOREN BENOIT/Press North Idaho College midfielder Ellory Ferris dribbles the ball around Portland Community College midfielder Sierra Warren in Wednesday’s Northwest Athletic Conference soccer match at Eisenwinter Field. Ferris scored in the 96th minute to give NIC a 1-0 win.
Tiana Cydell of North Idaho College throws the ball in to a teammate during Wednesday’s match against Portland Community College. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
COEUR d’ALENE — The North Idaho College women’s soccer team didn’t take the easy road to the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs.
Five ties in the regular season that made the difference between playing an opening round game and a bye in the opening round.
So with rain and wind playing an factor early on, what else could the Cardinals had expected in the postseason.
Ellory Ferris scored at 96:36 of overtime, the lone goal of the match, to send the Cardinals past the Portland Panthers 1-0 at Eisenwinter Field on Wednesday, advancing to the quarterfinal round.
“We felt that we could have taken an easier route,” Ferris said. “And we didn’t always get that extra push in some of those games and had this game to play. We’re just going to have to keep working hard.”
NIC (9-5-5) will face Peninsula (16-2-1) in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Port Angeles, Wash. Portland, the third-seed from the South Region, finishes 8-8-1.
“We played them earlier this year and lost 2-1 at their place,” NIC coach Dan Hogan said of Peninsula. “We were without Kaysha (Bailey), our starting goalkeeper, Zoe Lee a starting forward and Zhu Parker, a defender. It will be a different game. They’re a really deep team and that’s always been one of our big things is that we can run a lot of players out there and stay fresh. They’re a deep team too. Their defense, they’ve always been a good defensive team. It might have to be another match like this, but when you’ve got a defensive group like this, you can stay in a lot of games.”
Ferris took a deflection and scored from 20-yards for the game-winning goal.
“It’s hard to picture,” Ferris said of the play. “Everything gets so intense during overtime, especially in golden goal.”
“I love her as a player,” Hogan said. “Sometimes she’s a little too unselfish, and that’s what we’ve been trying to talk her into this year. That was her seventh goal, and she’s just a composed individual. It’s not a surprise that she was able to finish that ball.”
While rain was sporadic throughout, the field was slick from rain earlier in the day.
“We definitely knew that our field was already super wet,” Ferris said. “During the game, we knew we had to keep it at two touches, and get good touches on the ball. The conditions make a huge difference.”
“You never know in this kind of weather,” Hogan said. “It’s tough get footing and with the players slipping around, it’s difficult. I thought — especially in the second half — we had control of the play. Even the first half. We knew the goal was going to happen, but we just had to get in the right situation.”
First half — none. Second half — none. Overtime — 1, NIC, Ellory Ferris (unassisted), 96:36.
Shots on goal — Port 9, NIC 5.
Saves — Port, Esmeralda Castaneda 8; NIC, Kaysha Bailey 5.