Region IX title vaults team into top 20

Fresh off the school’s first regional men’s soccer title, Northwest College can now add another first to its list. For the first time in program history, the Trappers appear in the national soccer rankings.

“It feels great to be recognized and get Northwest College’s name out there,” said Trapper soccer coach Rob Hill. “I’m definitely proud of what they’ve achieved and we’re hoping to move up in those rankings as we go further along in the tournament. It’s good recognition, that’s for sure.”

The team has enjoyed its moment in the spotlight around campus. When the team bus returned to Powell late Saturday following Northwest’s Region IX championship win, the Trappers were greeted with a small impromptu celebration in the parking lot.

“It was awesome,” Hill said. “We had students. The basketball teams and the volleyball team were there. It was nice for them to come out and cheer the guys for sure. It’s nice when the sports teams support each other. It just gives a very unified feeling really.”

Back on the soccer pitch, the Trappers have spent the past few days in limbo. While the team knows that it will head to Arizona next week for district tournament play, the Trappers won’t know until this weekend who their opponent will be. The Region I tournament championship game is scheduled for Saturday.

“Right now, we’re just trying to stay sharp and get through the emotion of the Region IX tournament and focus on districts,” Hill said. “This week in practice we’re just working on staying sharp and keeping our pace of play up where it needs to be. It’s all about keeping the guys focused this week.”

Once the Trappers have identified their opponent, the team will quickly transition to the task of making game-specific preparations.

“Next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll get more tactical,” said Hill. “Once we know the opponent, we’ll talk about doing things to combat their strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses.”

The Trappers plan to depart for Arizona next Thursday.

In other polls this week, the NJCAA released its preseason set of rankings in both men’s and women’s basketball. Neither Northwest College team cracked the top 20.

In fact, Region IX was largely overlooked in that first batch of rankings. Only Casper College, 14th in the men’s preseason poll and 18th in the women’s rankings, received mention from out of the Trappers’ region.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams open their season next Wednesday, Nov. 2, against the Rocky Mountain JV squad.

NJCAA men’s soccer

1. Schoolcraft 20-0, 2. Darton 15-1, 3. Tyler 14-1-2, 4. Yavapai 18-0-3, 5. Iowa Western 14-1-1, 6. Monroe (Reg. 15) 10-1, 7. North Iowa Area 15-2-1, 8. DuPage 17-2, 9. Arizona Western 16-2-2, 10. Cloud County 16-1-3, 11. Western Texas 17-2, 12. Cincinnati State Technical 15-4, 13. Lincoln 15-3, 14. Oakton 15-2-1, 15. Harford 13-3-1, 16. Spartanburg Methodist 13-3, 17. Monroe (Reg. 3) 12-3-1, 18. Northwest 15-4-1, 19. Cowley County 12-2-2, 20. Marshalltown 14-4-1.

Others : CCBC-Essex, Coffeyville, Southern Maryland, Georgia Perimeter, Laramie County, Massasolt, Otero, San Jacinto-South.

NJCAA volleyball

1. Blinn 30-0, 2. Western Nebraska 34-1, 3. Western Wyoming 30-2, 4. San Jacinto-Central 25-3, 5. North Idaho 20-7, 6. Tyler 23-3, 7. Salt Lake 21-7, 8. Iowa Western 35-6, 9. Southern Idaho 17-10, 10. Eastern Arizona 25-3, 11. Central Florida 35-5, 12. Miami Dade 16-4, 13. Seminole State 33-4, 14. Northeastern 22-7, 15. Panola 18-7, 16. Paris 26-8, 17. Missouri State-West Plains 23-9, 18. Jefferson 19-8, 19. Wallace State-Hanceville 39-2, 20. (tie) Central Wyoming 21-9 and Mineral Area 27-4.

Others: Arizona Western, Lee.

NJCAA men’s basketball

1. Southern Idaho, 2. Monroe, 3. Midland, 4. Palm Beach State, 5. Coffeyville, 6. Trinity Valley, 7. East Mississippi, 8. Howard, 9. Indian Hills-Ottumwa, 10. Three Rivers, 11. Northwest Florida State, 12. Eastern Oklahoma State, 13. Lamar State-Port Arthur, 14. Casper, 15. Columbia State, 16. Kankakee, 17. Salt Lake, 18. South Plains, 19. Wabash Valley, 20. Eastern Arizona.

NJCAA women’s basketball

1. Trinity Valley, 2. Pensacola State, 3. Midland, 4. North Idaho, 5. Northern Oklahoma-Enid, 6. Central Arizona, 7. Hutchinson, 8. Chattanooga State, 9. Copiah-Lincoln, 10. Tyler, 11. Connors State, 12. Southern Idaho, 13. Gulf Coast State, 14. State Fair, 15. Shelton State, 16. Georgia Perimeter, 17. Monroe, 18. Casper, 19. Arizona Western, 20. Wabash Valley.