NORFOLK, Neb. – Northeast Nebraskans won’t have to travel far this weekend to see the Northeast Community College soccer teams during postseason play.
Both the Northeast women (15-1-1, 7-0-1 ICCAC) and Northeast men (17-1, 8-0 ICCAC) earned top seeds and will be hosting during the Region 11 Tournaments this weekend at Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk.
Northeast men had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Region 11 Tournament after last Saturday’s victory over Southeastern Community College and just added to its resume with a 4-0 victory Wednesday over Iowa Central Community College. The Hawks will start their postseason journey at 1 p.m. Sunday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field against the winner of North Iowa Area Community College and Scott Community College.
Head Men’s Soccer Coach Adam Potter said he is pleased Northeast will be at home as long as it keeps winning.
“The job is not done,” Potter said. “We have to have the hunger and desire for more. We have to want it even more than we did in the regular season. Everything that we have done to this point was fantastic and it has been a great season, but we have to remember at the end of the day that this is the part that we have been training for all year long. Now is an opportunity for us to display what we are capable of doing to the world.”
Lewis Rourke (Nottingham, England) led Northeast men this year with 18 goals. The Hawks have spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The Northeast women clinched the No. 1 seed on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory over Iowa Central Community College. The Hawks will begin postseason play at 3 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk against the winner of Scott Community College and Marshalltown Community College.
Head Women’s Soccer Coach Chad Miller said the focus is now on the postseason.
“I feel the mindset has to be to refocus on the next goal,” Miller said. “It’s one step at a time, and when you get to the top only to see more steps, that can weigh on you. We can’t let that set in. We have to refocus and climb those set of steps too. You can’t get to the top without climbing.”
The women’s team couldn't suffer a loss on Wednesday if it was to earn the No. 1 seed in the Region 11 Tournament. Aidyn Woodall (Caste Rock, Colo.) and Marleigh Leister (South Jordan, Utah) scored the goals for Northeast.
To view the brackets for this weekend’s tournament, click here for Men’s and Women’s.
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