NIC ROUNDUP: Minus six suspended players, Cardinal men cruise
• MEN'S SOCCER
COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College men’s soccer coach Brad Williams went out looking to build a roster to compete for conference championships.
Basically, anyone on any given day.
On Saturday, with six Cardinal players sidelined following a postgame fight last week, the Cardinals showed their depth.
Freshman Daniel Reyes Cortez had two goals and two assists and freshman Noel Daehne had a goal and two assists for the Cardinals, ranked ninth in this week’s NJCAA poll, in an 8-0 Scenic West Athletic Conference win over Pacific Northwest Christian of Kennewick, Wash., at Eisenwinter Field on Saturday.
“We’ve got depth like any other team in the conference,” Williams said. “Any one of our guys is a top quality player. I was really happy with those guys that haven’t been playing as much this season stepping in and showing they’re just as good as anybody.”
NIC played without Berkan Kuepelikilinc, Rabi Helmand, Israel Joseph, Lennox Kern and Caden Pennock, who were each suspended two games for their roles in a postgame fight with Salt Lake Community College on Sept. 26 in Worley. Andrea DiMarcello was also suspended one game.
Williams declined to comment on the suspensions.
“We’ve shown that we’re one of the best teams in the country and can bring guys off the bench,” Williams said. “The league is really at our feet and we’re in control of where we want to be.”
NIC (11-0-2, 7-0-1 SWAC) faces 17th-ranked Snow on Thursday in Ephraim, Utah.
Pacific Northwest Christian is 0-10, 0-8.
First half — 1, NIC, Santiago Nunez Lenis (Ivan Leon), 5:32. 2, NIC, Aidan McGuire (Daniel Reyes Cortez), 10:44. 3, NIC, Leon (Sebastiano Casini), 20:12. 4, NIC, Reyes Cortez (Noel Daehne), 27:18. 5, NIC, Reyes Cortez (Christian Tierney), 42:39. Second half — 6, NIC, Daehne (Reyes Cortez), 46:05. 7, NIC, Casini (Daehne), 52:15. 8, NIC, Daniel Khan (Matteo Toneguzzo), 71:43.
Shots on goal — PNCC 0, NIC 18.
Saves — PNCC, Nathaniel Goode 10; NIC, Nathan Gutierrez 0.
• WOMEN'S SOCCER
North Idaho 11
Pacific Northwest Christian 0
COEUR d’ALENE — Sophomore Hannah Rommes notched a hat trick 17 minutes into the match for the Cardinals in a Scenic West Athletic Conference shutout of the Gladiators of Kennewick, Wash., at Eisenwinter Field.
Sophomore Fallon Zeller had a goal and an assist for NIC (7-3-3, 4-2-2 SWAC), which faces Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.
Pacific Northwest Christian is 0-9, 0-8.
First half — 1, NIC, Hannah Rommes (Alayna Gardner), 8:54. 2, NIC, Rommes (unassisted), 11:21 3, NIC, Rommes (unassisted), 17:18. 4, NIC, Georgia Naleski (Fallon Zeller), 24:12. 5, NIC, Halli Wright (Madeline Cook), 32:02. 6, NIC, Pauline Klussman (unassisted), 41:14. 7, NIC, Fallon Zeller (Naleski), 43:08. Second half — 8, NIC, Jada Lee Bryan (unassisted), 54:31. 9, NIC, Gardner (unassisted), 55:49. 10, NIC, Emie Major (unassisted), 58:09. 11, NIC, Kennedy Stuart (unassisted), 62:27.
Shots on goal — PNCC 0, NIC 23.
Saves — PNCC, K. Ruiz 12; NIC, Brooklyn Sperry 0.
• VOLLEYBALL
North Idaho d.
Colorado Northwestern
COEUR d’ALENE — Freshmen Brynlie Cornia and Mikayla Esquivel had 10 kills each for the Cardinals in a 25-11, 25-12, 25-14 sweep of the Spartans in a Scenic West Athletic Conference match at Christianson Gymnasium.
Sophomore Olivia Zazuetta, a Lakeland High product, had nine assists, freshman Zoe Galbreath had 12 assists and freshman Taylin Everingham of Coeur d’Alene had six digs for NIC.
“We took care of business today,” NIC coach Drew Pascua said. “It was great to get Kika (Esquivel) back from injury. Her passing and defense is key for our offense to flow, resulting in our best offensive match in a while.”
NIC (18-6, 4-2 SWAC) faces Utah State-Eastern next Friday and Saturday in Price, Utah.
Colorado Northwestern is 2-12, 0-6.