Homecoming games show the bitter and the sweet in sports

The Homecoming games at NIC gave fans and students a little of everything Wednesday. As the afternoon soccer games led into the evening volleyball game, the teams provided everything from despair to hope to pure emulation. While the women’s soccer team kicked things off, and the Volleyball team ended the night, it was the men’s soccer game that provided the thrill of the day.

Eliminated from postseason play a week earlier, the men’s soccer team could’ve thrown in the towel and called it quits. With arch-rival Spokane coming to town in the last game of the season, it was up to the Cards to put that all aside and play for more than just a playoff ticket; no, this was about pride, attrition, and for the Sophomore class that had done so much for the program. The script was ready, and it was up to the team to determine how it would be written.

Spokane struck early, looking like the team that had only lost twice in its last nine outings. They looked stronger than NIC, and they used their determination to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Cards knew there was 45 minutes left in the season, and they came out firing.

Finally, in the 67th minute, the Cards struck. Noah Dreves won the ball new midfield, and controlled possession, eventually getting the ball to Connor Wold. Wold drew all four defenders to him before he slid a pass in the box to Creed McKinnon. The Australian Wing made no mistake, hammering one home into the corner to knot things up at one apiece. But what would co

me next will certainly go down in the program’s history as one of the most storybook and memorable moments in a long time.

The Cardinals were able to keep the offensive pressure on, eventually drawing a penalty on Spokane when Japeth Taylor was fouled. This was the script waiting to be written. An opportunity that doesn’t present itself often. McKinnon, a player whose career has been littered with injuries, stepped to the ball, knowing what was at stake with this one kick.

“I knew it was a chance for me, personally, to leave my mark on the college,” McKinnon said afterward. “I also wanted to represent the incredible group of Sophomores.”

That he did. From 26 yards out, McKinnon sent a scorcher to the top right corner that went cross-bar down and sent the entire team into a panicked frenzy of excitement. The Spokane goalie was even playing on that far-post side, but the shot was so well placed, that his diving save attempt, still gave him no chance. The goal put the Cards on top, and give them a 2-1 win, helping them complete the season sweep over Spokane.

For McKinnon, the win meant so much more than a 2-1 score could speak to.

“The win was spectacular. As for many of the Sophomores, it was their last ever

competitive game,” he said. “The Spokane games are the ones we look forward to the whole season as it’s always a cracker. And to get the double over them was a great send off to our NIC careers.”

In a down season, there was a lot of positivity in the end. The Cards would finish the season with a league record of 5-6-1, and a fifth-place finish in the East Region.

The Lady Cards had clinched a playoff spot earlier last week and headed into the Spokane game as basically a do-or-die for the East Region title. Once again, their defense played strong and Goalkeeper Kaysha Bailey made eight saves to keep the Cardinals in the game. Ultimately though, Megan Wilkinson would score in the 49th minute and lift Spokane to the 1-0 win and the title. Sofia Schnepf would get two of the Lady Cards’ seven shots on goal in the game.

The Lady Cards will play host to Portland Community College in the first round of the NWAC playoffs this Wednesday at Eisenwinter Field. There is no time set for the match at the moment.

The Volleyball teams hosted Big Bend CC in the nightcap to finish off an already exciting day of sports. The Cards, coming off a loss to Blue Mountain CC, would jump all over the visitors early, winning 25-5 in the first set. A sloppy second set would keep their opponent in the game, but ultimately the combination of Kayla Neumann and Hailie Etter would help the Cards to a 25-21 win. Down and out, Big Bend couldn’t match the skill of the Cardinals, and they succumbed in the third set 25-14.

The win helped the Cards keep pace with Blue Mountain for third place in the East Region, improving their league record to 8-4. The Cardinals continue to play at Christianson gymnasium on Friday evening, as Columbia Basin College will come to town looking to avenge an early season loss to the Cards.