It was a battle between the Western Nebraska Community College and Northeast Community College women's soccer teams.

                In the end, the Hawks scored two second-half goals to move to 4-1 on the season with a 2-1 win over the Cougars.

                WNCC freshman Sydney Heimbouch said it was a game they should have won.

                "We didn't play as well as we wanted to and we wanted to score more goals than they did and we didn't do that," the 2017 Gering graduate said. "It was a tough game out there and the head didn't help and playing a hard game the day before didn't help too."

                Northeast had 12 shots on goal and the Cougars finished with 11 shots. Jordyn Rivera had 14 saves in net for WNCC.

                Heimbouch said the defense played strong. Neither team scored in the first half despite the Hawks dominating the shot category.

                WNCC started the second half with two great scoring chances that just out of reach of the net. Northeast came back with two goals in the second half. Halley Curry netted the first goal as she took the ball and raced up the field to punch the ball in going one-on-one with the goalkeeper with 39 minutes to play.

                Eleven minutes later, Gering's Katie Martindale took a shot from 25 feet out and hit the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.

                WNCC didn't stop fighting as they had another shot that just went high. Then, with 12:17 left in the contest, Tanya Bertani scored off an assist from Courtney Nelson to cut the lead to 2-1.

                WNCC, 1-3, will be back in action next weekend when they host Otero and Trinidad State in South Region IX Conference action.

                Heimbouch said they can win next week; they just need to keep working hard in practice.

                "We have to work hard in practice and listen to the coach," she said. He knows what we need to do better and he will tell us. We just have to make sure we are listening and paying attention to his instructions."