Casper College soccer teams get week off before hosting Region IX tournament games
The Casper College soccer teams earned some time off. Three days, to be exact.
"We have some kids that are banged-up, so I like that we get to give them some rest," Thunderbirds' women's head coach Ammon Bennett said after Tuesday's practice. "Now we just have to prepare for whatever team we face next."
The No. 19 T-Birds (10-2-3, 9-0-1 Region IX) won 3-0 road games against Northeastern Junior College and Lamar Community College last weekend to clinch the top seed for the upcoming Region IX Tournament.
Casper College is already through to the semifinals and will host the winner of Saturday's Gillette College at Laramie County Community College game next Saturday at Murane Field.
The T-Birds, who have won seven consecutive games and are unbeaten in their last 10 matches, defeated Gillette, 4-1, two weeks ago and pitched a 2-0 shutout at LCCC on Sept. 14.
"We did what we wanted to do in the regular season," Bennett noted. "Now we just have to get ready for the next game and then hopefully another one. Obviously we don't know who we're going to play yet, but we know whoever it is it's going to be tough."
Saturday's other first-round contest has Otero College traveling to Powell to face Northwest College. The winner plays No. 2 seed Western Wyoming Community College next Saturday in Rock Springs.
Sophomore Macy Sickler has scored a team-best nine goals to lead the T-Birds' balanced offensive attack. Sophomore Michell Cave has netted five goals, with sophomores Jessa Lynn (Cody) and Amberlyn Hill (Kelly Walsh) adding four apiece and freshmen Taylor Miller and Tyniah White each scoring three.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emmy Finlinson has been outstanding between the pipes, allowing just four goals in Region IX play.
Like Bennett, Casper College men's head coach Ben McArthur also gave his team a three-day break following last weekend's victories over NJC (1-0) and Lamar CC (10-1) to "try and get healthy."
The two wins earned the T-Birds (11-4-1, 6-2-1) the No. 2 seed, which afforded them the luxury of three days off before they returned to the pitch Tuesday.
Casper College will play the winner of Saturday's Central Wyoming College at Otero College game. The T-Birds tied CWC 3-3 earlier this season and shut out Otero, 4-0. No. 1 seed Western Nebraska Community College awaits the winner of Saturday's LCCC at Northwest College game.
After losing to both Western Nebraska and LCCC earlier this season, the T-Birds finished the regular season 5-1-1, with the only loss a 3-2 defeat to No. 4 Iowa Western Community College.
"Since that game our freshmen have really figured it out," McArthur said of the team's play the last month. "And Court Gonsalez and Linus Musielak, our sophomore captains, have really stepped up.
"They believe that this is our year."
Freshmen Hedy Bechar and Justin Godbout-Garon lead the T-Birds' prolific offensive attack with nine goals apiece. In addition, Musielak has scored seven goals, Gonsalez (Worland) and freshman Francesco Panetta have each found the back of the net six times, with freshman Roy Nozawa scoring four and sophomore Yusuke Higuchi three.
PHOTOS: T-Bird soccer sweeps GilletteThe Casper College soccer teams wrapped up its home schedule with a sweep of Gillette College on Saturday, Oct. 5.
