NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinals find their way late, beat Yavapai in Babson's debut as head coach
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 36 minutes AGO
• WOMEN'S SOCCER
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — As it turned out, North Idaho College was just a little better late.
Hannah Rommes, a freshman from Grants Pass, Ore., scored in the 75th minute on Thursday night to give North Idaho College the lead for good as the Cardinals scored three unanswered goals in the second half to beat the Yavapai Roughriders 3-1 in the season opener for both schools.
Kenadie Mashore, a freshman from Las Vegas, had five saves for NIC, which won in the coaching debut of Luke Babson, who took over the program last spring.
“She’s a really confident keeper and does a good job of directing the team in front of her,” said Babson, who previously coached at Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill. “We’ve got two really strong goalkeepers, but she had the minutes tonight and did really well with them.”
NIC trailed 1-0 at halftime, before sophomore Pauline Klussman from Lehtre, Germany, put the Cardinals on the board in the 59th minute. Sophomore Madeline Cook of Brighton, Australia, capped the scoring in the 84th minute.
“We talked at halftime about making the right movements and just sticking to our game plan,” Babson said. “We showed a good level of fitness toward the end of the game, and it seemed like Yavapai was starting to wear down.”
NIC is scheduled to face Eastern Arizona on Saturday at Prescott High.
First half — 1, Yava, Eliza Palmer (unassisted), 43:51. Second half — 2, NIC, Pauline Klussman (unassisted), 59:39. 3, NIC, Hannah Rommes (unassisted), 75:23. 4, NIC, Madeline Cook (unassisted), 84:03.
Shots on goal — NIC 6, Yava 6.
Saves — NIC, Kenadie Mashore 5; Yava, Skylie Xayavong 4.
• VOLLEYBALL
Cd'A High product Farrar leads
Cardinals in season opener
BAYTOWN, Texas — Camryn Farrar, a freshman from Coeur d’Alene High, had 12 kills, 10 digs and one block for the Cardinals, who fell to host Lee College 25-20, 25-21, 25-19 in the season opener for both schools.
“We struggled in serve receive, but were solid on defense,” NIC coach Drew Pascua said. “But untimely miscommunications kept the offense from flowing. We had lots of freshmen taking big swings. The execution will come.”
Mikayla Esquivel, a freshman from Mapleton, Utah, had four blocks for NIC, which is scheduled to face Panola, McLennan and North Central Texas today.