Cardinals destroy 4-year program

It could have been a blowout.

On paper, it may have been easily touted as the perennial varsity-JV match-up: a four-year school from Oregon coming to face North Idaho’s two year soccer program.

On paper, the romping that NIC laid upon the defenseless Northwest Christian College may not have seen feasible.

However, this is the first year that NWCC has boasted a men’s soccer program, according to the Beacon’s head coach Chris Bolton, former Oregon High School Coach of the Year.

NIC, on the other hand, won the SWAC championship last season and made it to the Region 18 Finals. They were nationally ranked last year and the team won numerous individual awards over the off-season.

Thus, the 5-0 spanking the Cardinals bequeathed to Northwest Christian seems justified in the end.

“I liked how we played,” said Scott Moorcroft, head soccer coach. “Even though it wasn’t a game that mattered for our conference, we got involved in the game and possessed the ball well.”

Possessed the ball, indeed.

Much of the game it seemed NIC lacked a defense – for they didn’t need one. The Beacons spent more time defending NIC’s cutthroat offense than manning the ball themselves. One thing NWCC had going for them was the Card’s overanxious zeal for breaking away from the pack, leading to countless offsides penalties.

With 9:25 left on the clock and an injured Beacon waiting for a substitute, Bolton yelled from the sideline: “We’re done.”

While the score could have been higher, freshman forward Jared Bork’s long-range goal from nearly mid-field highlighted the day.

“A longer goal makes you look a little bit better,” a mild-mannered Bork said after the game.

Shortly after, NIC and NWCC got into a scuffle near midfield, with a Beacon defenseman, Nathan Adams, Junction City, Ore., being ejected from the game with a red card.

“You wanna punch me again?” yelled the freshman as he walked off the field in a cussing fury.

With the SWAC only boasting a trifecta of teams this season, much of NIC’s schedule is chock full of non-league games, as well as four-year schools.

“The league is what it is,” Moorcroft said. “We’re hoping the league will expand, and there are a few colleges hoping to get in. The good comes with the bad, though. You miss league games, but we get to play tougher four-year schools.”

When they beat the four-year Whitworth, 1-0, the Pirates were ranked third in the nation – a true assertion of the talent on Moorcroft’s squad.

After Saturday’s victory, the Cards improved to 5-2-1 on the season.

Earlier this season, the team beat Laramie County Community College in Salt Lake City, 2-0; tied Salt Lake Community College, 1-1; beat Whitman College, 1-0; lost to Walla Walla Community College, 2-1; crushed Western Wyoming Community College, 5-0; all after opening the season with a 3-0 loss to the four-year school Albertson College.