NO. 5 NORTHEAST CAPTURES REGION 11 TOURNAMENT TITLE FOR FOURTH-STRAIGHT YEAR BEHIND LATE-GAME HEROICS

NORFOLK, Neb. – The No. 5 Northeast Community College women's soccer team hosted the Region 11 Tournament Championship Sunday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field against No. 11 Iowa Central Community College. The Hawks topped the Tritons by a final score of 2-1 in overtime to hoist the Region 11 trophy for the fourth season in a row.

Northeast (18-1-1, 7-0-1 ICCAC) and Iowa Central went into the halftime break tied at 0-0 as the match didn't see a goal until the first minute of the second half when the Tritons found the back of the net. The result looked bleak for the Hawks as they were facing elimination before Aidyn Woodall (Castle Rock, Colo.) punched in a goal with 2:37 remaining in the showdown to force overtime just as she did last Tuesday in the Region 11 Tournament Semifinals against Iowa Lakes Community College.

For a second-straight match Northeast was able to end the contest in just one overtime period as Woodall and Anna Schloeglmann (Scharding, Austria) assisted Lexie Lilienthal (Grand Island, Nebraska) to send the Hawks to the North Plains District Championship for the fourth time in program history and the fourth time in as many years.

STAT SHEET:

Goals: Aidyn Woodall (Castle Rock, Colo.), Lexie Lilienthal (Grand Island, Nebraska)

Assists: Anna Schloeglmann (Scharding, Austria) (2), Erin Dunkerley (Ruthin, Wales), Aidyn Woodall

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head Women's Soccer Coach Chad Miller on the fight his team showed to keep their postseason journey alive:

"It's just something with the girls," Miller said. "When they want to turn the switch on, they just find a way. When we got down a goal, I don't think there was a single girl worried because it is where we have been before. We have come back in the past. Even into those final five minutes, the girls were positive on the sideline and telling us we needed to pick it up and go a little harder to the ball. No one quit. They just have tremendous heart. I take my hat off to them."

Miller on his squad battling from behind yet again to score their second overtime victory in the last two games:

"Number one, I'd like to finish it in regulation," Miller said with a laugh. "At the huddle at the end of regulation going into that first overtime I could feel their energy and how high it was. I honestly felt pretty confident at that point that these girls were going to finish it off."

Miller on winning the Region 11 Tournament Championship for the fourth-straight year:

"It's amazing!" Miller said. "For everyone. The girls. The school. Everyone. Every year it's getting harder and harder to win the region, but yet the girls are finding a way every single time. What's so amazing is it's not always the same group but it's a culture of the group from the year before that carries it on. It is just an expectation for them now."

Miller on getting to have another week of practice with another huge matchup on the horizon:

"Practice gets harder and harder the longer you get into season," Miller said. "It's the focus of what are you practicing for? What are you there for every single day? I think this game was one of those turning points for the girls and now they see the light. Practice has always been good, but I think that their level and intensity is going to go up now that they can see what is in front of them."

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will look to capture an automatic bid to the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament in the North Plains District Championship at 12 p.m. Friday against No. 7 Johnson County Community College at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk.

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