The Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) Men?s Eagles Soccer team advanced in the Region 14 tournament this week in dramatic fashion.† The Eagles won their first round playoff game against Laredo Community College Friday, but it took two overtimes and a penalty shoot-out to get it done! The Eagles now advance to the final round of the Region 14 tournament this Friday when they face off against Pearl River Community College at 2:00 p.m. at NTCC.
The hard fought contest started with Laredo scoring the first goal 46 minutes in.† However, the Eagle?s, Jake Winship, †tied the score 14 minutes later with a goal of his own. After a few more scoreless innings Laredo finally put what seemed at the time to be the winning goal on the board.† But with regulation time running out, Daniel Naverez placed a perfect pass to Undre Shankle who somehow squeezed the ball between the goal keeper and the upright post tying the score at 2-2. NTCC was able to put the ball in the goal two more times during regulation but each time the goal was disallowed due to an off sides† penalty.† The game ended up as a 2-2 tie.† After a short break the teams were back on the field for overtime where each team held the other scoreless.† At the end of the first overtime the score still remained tied 2-2.† The same hard fought battle continued into the second overtime which also ended in a tie.† The penalty kick shootout was as exciting as the game.† Each team matched the other team?s first four kicks with one goal after another.† On the last penalty kick of the game NTCC?s goal keeper, Salvador Valencia, †made a diving stab getting just enough of the ball to deflect it out of the net.† Rimario Gordon was the last player up for the Eagles.† He darted straight forward at the goalie challenging him to come out, his aggressive play quickly forced the goalie?s hand.† Once the goalie made his decision to charge forward Gordon looked right and kicked a blazing shot back to the left splitting the outreached hands of the Laredo Goal keeper. The large crowd rushed the field after the game winning kick.
After the game, Eagles Head Soccer Coach Donovan Dowling said that this one on of the most exciting wins of his coaching career.† According to Dowling ?this is the closest the program has ever gotten to the National Tournament and, if we continue to play like we did today, the team is poised to bring home a title for the Eagles?.
Dowling went on to state, ?We are going to make some noise if we make it to the National Championship, we are going to be strictly business when we step off the bus. Our team is the most battle tested team in the country. No other team has played a tougher schedule. It?s cliche? but we have to continue taking it one game at a time, we are creating history every week, we just have to keep putting ourselves in position to score and control the ball,? Dowling said.
The community is invited, and strongly encouraged, to attend the playoff game this Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Eagle Field on the NTCC campus!
