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On Friday in Scottsbluff NE the WWCC Mustangs and the Western Nebraska Cougars played their second match of the season. The first match was an easy 5 -1 win for the Mustangs in Rock Springs. The second match would prove to be not an easy victory for either team. The scoring was started by the Mustangs in the first half when Jarom Stuart took a long pass, feinted a defender touched it several times and beat the Cougar keeper near post. The first goal was in the 10th minute of play. The Stuart goal proved to be the only goal of the first 45 minutes, even though both teams had some chances including good looks for Taylor Egbert, Greg Howard and Brandon Bushman. The halftime score was WWCC 1 - WNCC 0.The match changed suddenly in the 50th minute when the referee red carded Bernie Manuel of the Mustangs. WWCC would have to play the rest of the match with 10 men versus the WNCC 11. The Cougars took advantage of the numbers mismatch and scores in the 55th minute when a shot took a bounce off of the field and jumped over the Mustang keeper Mitch Jensen. In the 63rd minute the Mustangs re-took the lead when a corner was passed in and Greg Howard found the ball at his feet and passed it through the crowd and the Cougar keeper for a 2 - 1 Mustang lead. It looked as if the lead would last for the Mustangs and they would come out with a win in regulation, however the Cougars scored an equalizer in the 88th minute off of a scrum after a corner kick. The match was tied 2 - 2 after 90 minutes.
The Mustangs and Cougars played their 2nd overtime match in as many years, the first ten minutes had both team taking shots on goal, including an upper 90 shot by Taylor Egbert that missed by just inches. At the end of the first overtime period the score was still tied. The second overtime the Mustangs were able to still fins possession even when playing a man down for 60 minutes. The match winning goal in the sudden death overtime came in the 110th minute, when Greg Howard threw the ball in deep in WNCC territory. The throw was good and to DJ Searcy's feet. DJ took on a WNCC defender and beat him down the end line. DJ dribbled it into the 6 yard box when he passed to back out to a wide open Taylor Egbert. Taylor kicked the ball with his left past the WNCC keeper into the net on the near post. The goal was scored with 14.6 seconds remaining before the match was declared a draw. The win moves the Mustangs to a 9 - 6 - 1 record and a 4 - 4 - 1 Region IX record still in a solid 4th place in the Region.
Match Facts; Shots – WWCC 14, WNCC 15 Assists – WWCC 2, WNCC 2; Saves – WWCC 8, WNCC 3; Free Kicks – WWCC 14, WNCC 11; Corner Kicks – WWCC 6, WNCC 7; Cards – WWCC 4, WNCC 6
Mustang Man of the Match – Taylor Egbert - Taylor played 110 minutes and scored the match winner with :14.6 seconds remaining.
Up Next for the Mustangs – Saturday October 13th vs Laramie County CC (Region IX) at Cheyenne WY at 1:30pm.
