"This was the worst wind I have ever been in for a soccer match," said Chad Miller, Northeast coach. "It made it extremely difficult to control the ball. Despite the conditions, we really did a good job adjusting our touch and angles to lessen the effect of the wind. In the first half, it was at our backs and making the ball faster and more difficult to control. In the second half, it was our faces, which made it difficult to keep the ball in front."
Four different Hawk players scored in the game, beginning with Nickolas Gamma on an assist from Arthur Lopes six minutes into the match. With 23 minutes left in the first half, Victor Galterio scored on an assist from Tiago Cunha da Costa to bring the halftime score to 2-0.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Cunha da Costa scored an unassisted goal off of a free kick. Cameron Krueger scored the Hawks' fourth and final goal on a penalty kick with ten minutes left in the game.
Massimiliano Simonazzi had two saves for Northeast. The Hawks outshot the Warriors 29 to six, and also had more shots on goal, 19 to Midland's two.
"Our boys possessed the ball and made great runs to open up opportunities," Miller said. "We played a solid attack forward, and our defense did a fantastic job closing down Midland's chances. Our boys have been playing good soccer, so we hope to carry that to this weekend."
The Hawks (7-11-1) will next compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI playoffs on Saturday. Time and location are to be announced.
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