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NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinal men keep pace in playoff chase

| October 21, 2021 1:10 AM

• MEN

COEUR d’ALENE — It might be a little messy, but North Idaho College still has a shot at the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs with two matches remaining.

Freshman Braden Bennett scored in the 62nd minute for the Cardinals, who played a man down due to a red card early in the second half to beat the Wenatchee Valley Knights 2-1 at Eisenwinter Field on Wednesday.

NIC (9-4-1, 5-4-1 NWAC) trails Wenatchee Valley (7-5-3, 6-3-1) by three points (one game) for the final playoff spot from the East Region. The top three teams advance to the playoffs.

“Both teams came out and played with fire and it was an exciting game,” NIC coach Ken Thompson said. “We got great work out of all the guys. We had a rotation in mind, then had to retool with being a man down, but the guys bought into their roles. It was a good team win.”

NIC hosts East-leading Columbia Basin (9-3-2, 8-0-2) on Saturday, then concludes the regular season against the Community Colleges of Spokane at Spokane Falls next Wednesday.

Wenatchee Valley concludes with Treasure Valley at home on Saturday, then visits Columbia Basin next Wednesday.

1, NIC, Evan Yost (penalty kick), 2:00. Second half — 2, NIC, Braden Bennett (unassisted), 52:00. 3, WVCC, Victor Camarillo (unassisted), 75:00.

Shots on goal — WVCC 9, NIC 10.

Saves — WVCC, Luis Medoza 3, Ty Miller 2; NIC, Stuart Herlinger 5.

• WOMEN

Yakima Valley 1

North Idaho 0

COEUR d'ALENE — The Yakis scored in the 90th minute to edge the Cardinals in a Northwest Athletic Conference match at Eisenwinter Field.

NIC (11-3-0, 8-2-0 NWAC, 24 points) trail Columbia Basin (9-2-2, 8-1-1, 25 points) by one point for the East Region lead with two matches remaining. The region champion earns a first-round bye in the conference playoffs, which begin on Oct. 30.

NIC hosts Columbia Basin on Saturday, then wraps up the regular season against the Community Colleges of Spokane next Wednesday at Spokane Falls.

First half — none. Second half — 1, YVCC, Ella McKenna (unassisted), 90:00.

Shots on goal — YVCC 11, NIC 12.

Saves — YVCC, Sophia Pixton 12; NIC, Hailee Mize 10.

• VOLLEYBALL

North Idaho at

Big Bend, canc.

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — The Northwest Athletic Conference match, scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled due the Cardinals being in quarantine due to COVID-19.

Under league rules, NIC (7-12, 3-7 NWAC) had to forfeit the match, the program's seventh match lost this season due to forfeit.

NIC is scheduled to face Blue Mountain of Pendleton, Ore., on Saturday.