HAWKS WOMEN’S SOCCER RAISES REGION XI CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

NORFOLK, Neb. – The No. 7 Northeast Community College women's soccer team hosted the Region XI Championship on their home turf at Veterans Memorial Field for the third-straight year. The Hawks once again claimed the title of Region XI Champions by a final score of 3-0 over Hawkeye Community College.

The Hawks (18-2-1, 9-1 ICCAC) suffered their only conference loss of the season at the hands of the RedTails, and needless to say they were determined to make sure they came out on top this time with everything on the line. Hawkeye played a rather defensive style throughout the first half, but a long goal from Mackenzee Stokes (Ninji, Australia) ten minutes in relaxed some of the pressure as Northeast was able to find more lanes to create space.

A nifty goal from Taryn O'Brien (Lakewood, Colo.) that curved around the opposing goalie and another from Stokes were enough for the Hawks to claim victory. Both Hannah Thornell (Auckland, New Zealand) and Carolin Stahlmann (Hamburg, Germany) each played a half in net for Northeast and neither allowed a goal.

Hawks on the Region XI All-Tournament Team included Stokes as the MVP, O'Brien as the Offensive Player of the Tournament, Erica Derby (Keenesburg, Colo.) as the Defensive Player of the Tournament, Stahlmann as the Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Kyler Bowman (Topeka, Kan.) and Aidyn Woodall (Castle Rock, Colo.) as the two other Northeast players making up the team.

STAT SHEET:

Goals: Mackenzee Stokes (Ninji Austrailia) (2), Taryn O'Brien (Lakewood, Colo.)

Assists: Chelsea Dolbel (Devonport, Australia), Romeni Gurmendi (Boulder, Colo.)

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head women's soccer coach Chad Miller on Mackenzee Stokes' early goal:

"It was a great game changer," Miller said. "We knew coming in that they were going to drop in defenders and play a tight defense. All we talked about was getting a goal early because once we could do that we could relax and keep pushing it into the net. Once we got that goal I think we were able to relax."

Miller on maintaining the shutout through the second half:

"In the second half Hawkeye switched up their formation and it took us a little bit to adjust to what we haven't been practicing for," Miller said. "Once the girls adjusted to it and realized they were playing just a normal formation that we play against all of the time we relaxed and we were able to possess the ball. That's when the next two goals came and it felt more like us."

Miller on what winning three consecutive Region XI Championships means to him:

"It means the women have done an incredible job at building a culture here at Northeast," Miller said. "It has been years that they just keep building it and it gets stronger and stronger each year. The sophomores teach the freshmen and then the next year the sophomores teach the freshmen. I just can't say enough about what they have done here."

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will be on the road in the Plains District Championship facing Pratt Community College at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pratt Soccer Complex in Pratt, Kansas.

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