The Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) Women's Soccer team is set for a busy weekend as the Mighty Lizards return to conference play with two home matches, taking on Pacific Northwest Christian College (PNWCC) on Thursday, September 10, before facing North Idaho College (NIC) on Saturday, September 12.
The Lizards will first welcome the PNWCC Gladiators to the TMCC Soccer Field on Thursday, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
PNWCC enters the matchup with an 0-5 record and is coming off a 15-0 loss to North Idaho in its conference opener. While the Lizards enter Thursday's matchup higher in the standings, TMCC will not overlook the Gladiators, who have been known in past seasons for playing a gritty, hardworking style of soccer.
The Lizards will look to stay focused, play their style of soccer and use Thursday's matchup as an opportunity to build momentum early in conference play.
TMCC will then turn its attention to North Idaho College on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m.
The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 4-1-1 record and opened conference play with a 15-0 victory over PNWCC. With North Idaho's strong start to the season and the competitive history between the two programs, Saturday's matchup should provide another hard-fought conference contest for the Lizards.
TMCC enters the weekend looking to build off its conference opener against the College of Southern Idaho. Although the Lizards fell 2-1, the team showed plenty of fight against a strong CSI attack.
The Lizards' defense held its ground throughout the match despite CSI recording 31 shots. Goalkeeper Karen Salgado came up with 15 saves to keep TMCC in the game, while Chloe McMinn continued her strong offensive production.
McMinn, the Lizards' leading scorer, found the back of the net in the first half after getting into a one-on-one situation with the CSI goalkeeper and lifting her shot over the keeper to even the match at 1-1.
TMCC continued to battle defensively in the second half, allowing just one additional goal and keeping the match within reach until the final whistle.
Now, the Lizards will look to carry that defensive effort and competitive mentality into a two-game conference weekend. Thursday's matchup with PNWCC gives TMCC an opportunity to establish momentum, while Saturday's meeting with North Idaho brings another familiar opponent and an opportunity for a competitive conference matchup.
The Mighty Lizards take on Pacific Northwest Christian College Thursday, September 10, at 1 p.m. before facing North Idaho College Saturday, September 12, at 11 a.m. Both matches will be played at the TMCC Soccer Field.
Vamos Verdes!
Match Details
Thursday, Sept. 10
Opponent: Pacific Northwest Christian College (PNWCC)
Time: 1 p.m. PST
Location: TMCC Soccer Field
TMCC Record: 2-3
PNWCC Record: 0-5
Saturday, Sept. 12
Opponent: North Idaho College (NIC)
Time: 11 a.m. PST
Location: TMCC Soccer Field
TMCC Record: 2-3
NIC Record: 4-1-1
