* WOMEN'S SOCCER

COEUR d'ALENE - The North Idaho College women's soccer team will have to wait a few more days for its first win in the Northwest Athletic Conference in a decade.

Or a loss.

And a goal.

The Cardinals, playing in the NWAC for the first time since 2004, played to a scoreless draw in the conference opener against Lane Community College of Eugene, Ore., on Saturday at Eisenwinter Field.

"We controlled most of the play and had good opportunities to score in the first half," NIC coach Dan Hogan said. "Meghan Pagano also had a couple of chances with one going right and the other being saved."

Madi Williams had two saves and Cassy Van Der Mey three saves for NIC, which hosts Tacoma on Tuesday.

"Madi came up big late to stop a breakaway," Hogan said.

First half - none. Second half - none.

Shots on goal - LCC 5, NIC 18.

Saves - LCC, Erica Cogburn, 14; NIC, Cassy Van Der Mey, 3, Madi Williams, 2.

* MEN'S SOCCER

North Idaho 4

South Puget Sound 0

COEUR d'ALENE - Sophomore Adam Talley recorded a hat trick for the Cardinals, which beat the Clippers in the Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both schools at Bill Eisenwinter Field.

"It was a good way to start league play," NIC coach Ken Thompson said. "To start out with a win, and have Adam pick up where he left off last season was a good thing. We had some decent combinations out there and we hope we'll be a little more finely tuned next week."

Former Post Falls High standout Brady Ulen scored in the 57th minute for NIC, which hosts Tacoma Community College on Tuesday.

First half - 1, NIC, Adam Talley (Elias Herman), 28. Second half - 2, NIC, 57th, Brady Ulen (Matt Howard). 3, NIC, 62nd, Talley (Alec Johnson). 4, NIC, 67th, Talley (unassisted).

Shots on goal - SPS 3, NIC 24.

Saves - SPS, Allan Grao, 14; NIC, Mitch Markovetz, 3.

* VOLLEYBALL

NIC splits in final day at tourney

SALT LAKE CITY - The unranked North Idaho College volleyball team proved it can play with the ranked teams in the NJCAA on the opening weekend of the season.

Now, the work begins to be better than them.

Kennedy Chadwick had 17 digs and Maddi Seidl 30 assists and 12 digs as the Cardinals beat fourth-ranked Arizona Western 25-12, 18-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-12 in the Crystal Innvitational on the campus of Salt Lake Community College.

Dzeni Hadzisehovic had 13 kills and six blocks and Brenna Meehan 12 digs in the win for NIC.

Later, NIC fell 25-16, 25-23, 25-23 to sixth-ranked Western Wyoming to conclude the tournament 1-3.

"Overall, I am pleased with how the girls played this weekend," first-year NIC coach Kelsey Stanley said. "We played four tough teams who are all ranked 12th or higher in the national polls. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but knowing that we can beat and play with the best is reassuring. We have a young team which will have a lot of trial and error this year, but we need to lessen the errors and things will start to look much better."

Seidl had 31 assists, Chadwick and Meehan 13 digs and Hadzisehovic 14 kills against Western Wyoming for NIC, which competes in the College of Southern Idaho tournament this Friday and Saturday in Twin Falls.