NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinals take down Truckee Meadows
• MEN'S SOCCER
COEUR d’ALENE — The goal is simple for the eighth-ranked North Idaho College men’s soccer team.
Win, and the road to the Region 18 Championships runs through here.
Sophomore Ivan Leon scored two goals and freshman Rabi Helmand added a goal and an assist for the Cardinals in a 5-1 win over Truckee Meadows of Reno, Nev., in Scenic West Athletic Conference play at Eisenwinter Field on Saturday.
Sophomore Sebastiano Casini scored in the 19th minute to give NIC (15-0-2, 11-0-1 SWAC) a 1-0 halftime lead.
“In the first half, we had some details that weren’t being taken care of,” NIC coach Brad Williams said. “We did a better job of getting more shots on target and very happy with the turnaround we had in the second half.”
NIC travels to 20th ranked Utah State-Eastern of Price, Utah, on Thursday. With a win, the Cardinals will host regionals Oct. 29. They can still clinch with a win over Salt Lake in the regular season finale next Saturday in Herriman, Utah.
“Utah State-Eastern will be a good matchup for us,” Williams said. “Hopefully we can take care of business on Thursday.”
Truckee Meadows (3-10, 3-8) is fifth in the conference with two games remaining. Only the top four teams advance to regionals.
First half — 1, NIC, Sebastiano Casini (Santiago Nunez), 19:00. Second half — 2, NIC, Rabi Helmand (Tom Renner), 46:00. 3, TMCC, Edwin Ugalde (unassisted), 58:00. 4, NIC, Baraka Dayi (Helmand), 58:19. 5, NIC, Ivan Leon (Daniel Reyes), 86:02. 6, NIC, Leon (Tyson Carter), 89:00.
Shots on goal — TMCC 3, NIC 14.
Saves — TMCC, Rocco Primerano 10; NIC, Nathan Gutierrez 3.
• WOMEN'S SOCCER
North Idaho 1
Truckee Meadows 0
COEUR d’ALENE — Freshman Brooklyn Sperry had nine saves in for the Cardinals in a Scenic West Athletic Conference win over the Lizards of Reno, Nev., at Eisenwinter Field.
“She’s just been really consistent,” NIC coach Luke Babson said. “She did a good job of holding onto the ball and made some good saves today.”
NIC (10-4-3, 7-3-2 SWAC) is tied with Utah State-Eastern (9-5-2, 7-3-2) for the fourth and final spot to the Region 18 tournament. The team’s tied 0-0 in their previous matchup on Sept. 24 at the Marimn Health Coeur Center in Worley.
“A lot of it’s going to come down to that,” Babson said. “Still have a good chance, but if we get a win, we’ll lock in a playoff spot.”
NIC and Utah State-Eastern face off in Price, Utah, on Thursday. The Cardinals conclude the regular season against Salt Lake in Herriman, Utah, next Saturday.
Sophomore Hannah Rommes scored in the 34th minute for NIC.
Truckee Meadows is 3-11, 2-10.
First half — 1, NIC, Hannah Rommes (unassisted), 34:30. Second half — none.
Shots on goal — TMCC 9, NIC 9.
Saves — TMCC, Karen Salgado 7; NIC, Brooklyn Sperry 9.
• VOLLEYBALL
Snow d.
North Idaho
COEUR d’ALENE — Freshman Mikayla Esquivel had 13 kills for the Cardinals, who fell to the Badgers 25-14, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play at Christianson Gymnasium.
NIC (19-9, 5-5 SWAC) and Snow (15-10, 5-5) are tied for fourth in the conference with two matches remaining in the regular season. Only the top teams advance to the Region 18 Championships at the site of the conference champion on Nov. 4.
Camryn Farrar, a freshman from Coeur d’Alene, had 11 digs and freshman Zoe Galbreath had 18 assists and 11 digs for NIC, which concludes the regular season at the College of Southern Idaho next Friday and Saturday.
Aleah McDaniel had 12 kills for Snow, which hosts Truckee Meadows Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 in Ephraim, Utah.