NOC soccer teams lose season openers to Cowley County

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — The NOC men and women soccer teams kicked off their seasons with losses in Arkansas City.

Mavs drop battle between ranked teams in season opener

  ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. —  The fifth ranked Cowley County Tigers slipped past Northern Oklahoma College 2-1 in a game that came down to the last few minutes with the Mavs pressing for the tying goal. 

  “First off I want to congratulate Cowley,” said coach Michael Duroy.   “They have an amazing team.  They are invested in athletics up there.  As a coach I admire that.  Their team is very well coached and play the game the right way.  I’m pleased with the effort that our guys give.  We are very young and inexperienced so we don’t always play the best soccer or make the best decisions on the field, but the boys give everything, and that’s all that I can ask.  We are improving.  If we keep getting better, we have a chance to achieve our goals.”  

  The Mavs came out fast creating a few goal-scoring chances early, and were a bit unlucky in the early going. Cowley rebounded and gained by far the majority of the possession, but couldn’t unlock the Maverick defense for many good goal scoring opportunities.  The Tigers did get one great chance with a shot in the penalty box, but Northern goalkeeper Aron Kanyai made the point blank save.  Cowley finally broke through with a goal on a free kick with five minutes remaining in the first half.  

  Early in the second half the Mavs nearly got on the scoreboard when Assanie Brown took the ball from a Tiger defender and broke free in the box.  The Tiger goalkeeper made a miraculous save to keep the Mavs scoreless.  Cowley scored their second goal off a scramble for a loose ball in the box that a Tiger player was able put home to take a 2-0 lead. 

  Brown did bring the Mavericks back into the game with a goal with ten minutes remaining.  Miguel Chavez made a nice pass behind the Cowley defense and Brown outraced the Tiger goalkeeper to the ball and hit a long shot into the empty net.  Northern had several chances after that to equalize, but just missed with Cowley holding on for the hard fought 2-1 win.  

NOC women lose season opener at Cowley

  ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — In a battle of two ranked teams, #14 ranked Cowley College dominated #19 Northern Oklahoma College in the first half as they coasted to an easy 4-1 win. 

  Coach Michael DuRoy was not pleased with the Mavs performance against the Tigers.

  “We had two players miss the bus and it got worse from there,” said coach Michael DuRoy.  “Our warm up, body language and attitudes and effort were terrible.  It was a complete embarrassment, and I take responsibility for a large portion of it.  In our two scrimmages we had most of the possession in the games.  We didn’t have to chase and defend.  I give Cowley credit.  They out played and out coached us today. 

  “Our girls looked like they had no interest in defending or working hard,” he added.  “We need to change our attitudes or we won’t achieve our goals.  I have players come up to me and ask what they need to do to play more and then when we have extra voluntary conditioning sessions they are nowhere to be found.  At this level everything you get is earned.  I have to coach harder and our players have to play harder, bottom line.”   

  The Mavericks came into the game missing a few players including both of their goalkeepers, which forced Northern to play a field player in goal.  The Tigers dominated possession, and scored their first goal midway through the half.  They scored another four minutes later, and the rout was on as Cowley would put two more into the net in the final fourteen minutes of the first half.  

  Northern played better in the second half with more possession against a group of mostly Cowley reserve players.  Josie Jarvis collected a goal for the Mavs twenty minutes into the second half, but that would be it for the day as Cowley cruised to the 4-1 victory.