OPENING KICKOFF: The Snow College women's soccer team will return home to face Pacific Northwest Christian College Thursday at 1:00 p.m., followed by North Idaho College Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Both matches will be played at the Snow Soccer Complex in Ephraim.
The Badgers, ranked No. 15 in the NJCAA Division I Women's Soccer Poll, are 7-2-3 overall, including a 5-1-3 mark in Scenic West Athletic Conference play. They are coming off a 4-2 win against Colorado Northwestern Community College and a 1-0 loss against No. 5 Salt Lake Community College.
The Badgers sit third in SWAC standings which would qualify them for the Region 18 Tournament. Salt Lake Community College is at the top of the board with 25 points, while the Badgers and the College of Southern Idaho are tied at 18 points. NIC is sitting in 4th place with 17 points.
With two wins, SLCC would earn the right to host the Region 18 Tournament. At this time the Badgers control their own destiny to qualify for the Region 18 Tournament. With wins in each of their final four games, the Badgers would secure at least the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
KNOW YOUR FOE: PNWCC enters with a record of 0–12, and the Badgers are 5–0 all-time against the Gladiators. The Gladiators recently fell to CSI and Truckee Meadows Community College. The previous matchup resulted in a win for the Badgers due to a forfeit. Overall against PNWCC, Snow College has recorded 129 shots on goal, converting 49 of them into scores. The Gladiators have yet to score against the Badgers.
The Cardinals hold an overall record of 5–5–3, and are at 5-3-2 in SWAC play. The Badgers are 3–0–1 all-time against NIC. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 2–2 draw earlier this season in Couer d'Alene. In that matchup, the Badgers outshot the Cardinals 24–8 overall and 16–6 in shots on goal. Snow College led 1–0 at halftime, but after NIC equalized, the Badgers regained the lead in the 81st minute before the Cardinals tied it again in the 87th. The final score was 2–2.
NIC is coming off a 1–1 draw against TMCC and a 2–1 loss to CSI. They will face Utah State University Eastern Thursday before taking on the Badgers Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT: The No. 15 Snow College women's soccer team defeated Colorado Northwestern Community College 4-2 Thursday before falling 1-0 to No. 5 Salt Lake Community College Saturday. The Badgers now hold an overall record of 7-2-3, including a 5-1-3 mark in Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
In Thursday's match against the Spartans, the Badgers struck early. Madelyn Moss opened the scoring in the eighth minute off an assist from Mirabel Shellabarger. Bailee Ballard added a second goal in the 15th minute, and just before halftime, Maci Nell extended the lead to 3-0 in the 40th minute with help from Kelsie Peterson.
In the second half, Saige Meryhew found the back of the net in the 52nd minute to make it 4-0. CNCC responded late, scoring in the 72nd and 77th minutes to close the gap.
The Badgers totaled 13 shots, including six on goal, while holding CNCC to six shots — three on target. Ballard and Meryhew led Snow College with four shots each.
Saturday's matchup against SLCC was a closely contested match which ended in a 1-0 loss for the Badgers. The Bruins scored in the 23rd minute, and Snow College was unable to find the equalizer. Caliyah Wagner had a strong chance in the 30th minute, but her shot was stopped by the SLCC keeper.
The Badgers continued to press in the second half, generating a few opportunities. Moss recorded shots in the 51st and 76th minutes, while Peterson added one in the 88th, all of which were saved by the Bruins' goalkeeper. Snow College finished with four shots on goal, while SLCC tallied five.
UP NEXT: The Badgers are approaching the end of regular season play as they will host CSI next Thursday at 1:00 p.m. and TMCC the following Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Both matches will be held at Snow Soccer Complex in Ephraim Utah.
The Golden Eagles have an overall record of 6-2-3 with 5-2-3 conference record. The Lizards are at 1-9-0 with a 1-7-0 conference record. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.
