The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s and women’s soccer teams split their season-opening matches against University of Arkansas Rich Mountain (UA Rich Mountain) Thursday, with the women falling, 5-0, and the men earning a 4-1 victory.
Down to just 10 available players due to injury, the Nighthawk women (0-1) went toe-to-toe, defensively, against the Bucks’ fast-paced offense for the first 20 minutes. Midway through the first half, however, UA Rich Mountain lit up the scoreboard with a three-goal barrage in a two-minute span to take a 3-0 advantage. The Bucks added two additional goals down the stretch, resulting in a 5-0 halftime deficit for NPC. The Nighthawks kept the Bucks off the scoreboard in the second half, but were unable to turn the tide in defeat.
In men’s action, NPC (1-0) rallied from behind to open the Coach Corey Irvine era with a convincing win. In a back and forth first half, the Bucks struck first, squeaking in a goal past NPC freshman goalkeeper Tim Grahmann (Rudesheim am Rhein, Germany). Three minutes later, Nighthawk sophomore midfielder Irvin Martinez (Katy, TX) equalized the match on a 32-yard strike that bounced over the head of the Bucks’ goalkeeper into the back of the net.
Tied, 1-1, after 45 minutes, NPC rallied for three
additional goals in the second half to achieve victory. With 12 minutes into the period, NPC stretched the length of the field and gained the lead on a 17-yard laser from freshman striker Louis Learoyd (Aix Les Baines, France). Later in the half, freshman winger Yadiel Cardona (Houston, Texas) took advantage of a defensive miscue to pad the Nighthawks’ lead. NPC’s final score came with 5:07 remaining as sophomore striker Jack Avery (Brighton, England) scored from 12 yards out, notching his eighth career goal as NPC cruised to victory.
National Park College faces Mineral Area College Sunday, August 25, at Northwest Mississippi Community College. The Nighthawk women kick off at 2 p.m., followed by men’s action at 4 p.m.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit Nighthawk Athletics online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
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