THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: Big ones on the pitch for Cards today

North Idaho College has competed in some big-time games in recent memory. 

Shoot, the wrestling team has won 15 NJCAA championships, a number that schools still are chasing every winter. 

That 2011 women's basketball team that went on to win the NJCAA title ... 

A men's basketball team loaded with eventual Division I players that went 30-0 during the 2015-16 regular season, advancing to nationals for the first time since 1997. 

Later today, it might be the Cardinals' turn on the soccer field to make some noise.

THE CARDINALS, ranked 10th in this week's NJCAA poll, host fourth-ranked Salt Lake today at 1 p.m. in Scenic West Athletic Conference play at the Marimn Health Coeur Center in Worley. Prior to that, NIC's women face Salt Lake at 11 a.m. 

NIC's men are 10-0-1 overall and lead the conference at 6-0. Salt Lake is second at 7-0-2, 3-0-2 in conference. 

This will be the first matchup of the season between NIC and Salt Lake. The teams are scheduled to meet Oct. 24 in the regular season finale in Taylorsville, Utah.

"Salt Lake has tied Utah State-Eastern and CSI this season," third-year NIC men's soccer coach Brad Williams said. "We've had to really prove ourselves that we're the best team in the conference. I think we've got a chance this weekend to prove we're something to be reckoned with. The idea that our guys are focused game by game, and what we need to do in each one of those, that's been good to see. We're excited for Saturday." 

Last week, NIC sophomore Lennox Kern had two goals and two assists in matches against Snow College and Colorado Northwestern, and was named the conference's player of the week. 

"Lennox played really well for us again today," said Williams after Thursday's 4-0 win over 13th-ranked Utah State-Eastern in Worley. "We don't expect him to have that kind of output as far as coming up with the goals and assists, but it was huge for us last week." 

NIC is in its third full season back in the SWAC this season, and leads the conference. This year's men's conference champion will host the Region 18 men's and women's tournaments, featuring the top four teams in each, with the semifinals on Oct. 29 and the finals on Oct. 31. 

"I think we're still a little bit of uncertainty," said Williams, whose Cardinals lost in the semifinals at the Region 18 tourney each of the last two years. "We haven't been in the conference final in the last two years, but we're tired of being third. We've got something more to prove. Just to have that winning mentality right now, that's been huge." 

Fan support at the Coeur Center has also been something that Williams has noticed. 

"It's been a great atmosphere, and we've had a lot of people come out," said Williams, whose team will play its final three games of the regular season at Eisenwinter Field on campus in Coeur d'Alene. "We really like playing in Worley. We've had a lot of people that want to come out and I really think the entire country is going to be paying attention to this match on Saturday."

THE CARDINAL women (6-2-3, 3-1-2 SWAC) are currently fourth in the conference with 11 points, just one point behind rival College of Southern Idaho (5-2, 4-2) for third in NIC coach Luke Babson's first season. 

"We've got some really strong teams in our conference," said Babson following Thursday's 0-0 draw with No. 17 Utah State-Eastern in Worley. "We knew it was going to be a tough conference heading into the season." 

NIC also played Snow, then ranked 17th in the NJCAA poll, to a scoreless draw on Sept. 17 in Worley. 

"We've gotten better in some of our defending, and I'm happy with how we're doing," Babson said. "But we need to find some goals in those decisive moments against those really good opponents." 

NIC outshot Utah State-Eastern 9-3 in Thursday's match. 

"In some ways, it was a tie where we weren't super satisfied," Babson said. "We could have gotten three points and a win, but in some ways, it gives us confidence that the next time, we can get a result against them." 

A few of the right ones today could go a long way in achieving a lot of those early season goals later in October. 

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1206 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on 'X', formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.