The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s and women’s soccer teams won their National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 2 matches against University of Arkansas Cossatot (UA Cossatot) at Hot Springs World Class High School Wednesday, with each team picking up a 3-0 victory over the Colts.
Featuring a healthy roster for the first time this season, the Nighthawk women (1-5) jumped in front of the Colts early and never looked back. Eight minutes into the match, freshman right back Ainsley Louton (Hot Springs) put the Nighthawks in front with an 11-yard strike, assisted by freshman striker Madison Hernandez (Brownsboro, Texas). Late in the first half, Hernandez scooted in NPC’s second goal of the match, a 19-yard shot, sending the team into the break with a 2-0 advantage.
NPC turned up its defense in the second half, keeping the Colts out of Nighthawk territory for the majority of the final 45 minutes. A third of the way through the period, Hernandez added her second goal of the match, taking advantage of an open goal after a shot attempt by Louton bounced downward off the crossbar. With UA Cossatot unable to respond, NPC soared to its first victory of the season, setting up a high-stakes rematch at UA Cossatot Saturday, Oct. 26, where an NPC win or draw will lock up the Nighthawks’ second-consecutive NJCAA Region 2 championship.
Freshman goalkeeper Lily Paslay (Brookland) secured five saves for the Nighthawks in the win.
In men’s action, the Nighthawks (2-4) and Colts embarked on a defensive chess match
over the first 45 minutes, resulting in a scoreless stalemate at halftime. Flexing
its depth in the second half, NPC took charge in the final period, scoring three goals
to take a decisive win. Sophomore left back Ali Muganga (Nashville, Tennessee) struck
first for the Nighthawks, poking in a shot on an open goal with 31:44 to play. The
Nighthawks padded their lead late in the match on a goal from freshman winger Augustin
Herion (Liège, Belgium) with 10:27 remaining, assisted by freshman striker Linberth
Soriano (Cortes, Honduras). NPC’s final goal came in the closing seconds of the match
as freshman winger Jason Saravia (Washington, D.C.) fired an 11-yard strike to add
an exclamation point to the victory.
Freshman goalkeeper Tim Grahmann (Rudesheim am Rhein, Germany) recorded three saves in the win.
National Park College faces Pearl River Community College Sunday, September 29, in Poplarville, Mississippi. The women kick off at noon, followed by men’s action at 2 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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