Photo1 – Guilherme Caldas heads the ball against NJC
Photo2 – Freshman Jairo Barreras moves down the sideline on Saturday against Northeastern
TRINIDAD, Colo. - The Trinidad State soccer team picked up their first win of the season on Friday afternoon with a convincing 3-1 defeat of Western Nebraska and then dropped a hard-fought contest on Saturday to Northeastern JC. The games were the first home contests of the season for the Trojans and were played at Central Park.
On Friday the Trojans struck first on a slick goal from Guilherme Caldas which was assisted by Jairo Barreras. Caldas' strike would be the only goal in the first 45 as the Trojans took the 1-0 advantage into the half. Trinidad doubled their lead early in the second half when the Cougars took a Trojan down in the box. Thiago Catao Navarro stepped up to the spot and slotted the penalty shot past the keeper. Ten minutes later, Bryce Seamans took a pass from Guilherme Caldas and fired it into the net to make it 3-0. WNCC would cut into the lead on a goal from Criztian Avalos in the 78th minute, but Trinidad would settle in for the 3-1 win. Trojan goalkeeper Eric Josue Estrada helped keep Western Nebraska in check, finishing the day with nine saves.
The temperature at the park was higher on Saturday afternoon and the play on the field was more intense as well. Northeastern came to town after picking up a 4-1 win over Otero on Friday to meet the Trojans. The first half was well played with both teams getting good shots at goal only to see the keeper bat them away at the last second. NJC would finally get onto the scoreboard with an indirect free kick. Quentin Hornung scored on a little tip shot over the heads of the Trojan wall of defenders. Thing would get worse for the Trojans minutes later when a bad slide tackle by Jahleel Cunningham would send him to the bench with a red card and leave the Trojans down a man the rest of the match. Despite the disadvantage the Trojans played solid defense and took shots on the counter to try and get the equalizer. At the end they couldn't get a shot home and they would fall 1-0. Goalkeeper Akim Larmond finished with five saves in the contest.
The Trojan men are now 1-1 in Region IX play. They will travel to northern Wyoming this weekend to face Sheridan College and Gillette College. TSJC will next be home on September 27 to face Northwest College.