Iowa Western opens the 2017 ICCAC campaign with a dominant 2nd half showing
The Reivers defeated ICCAC rival Iowa Central Tritons 5-2 in Fort Dodge on Saturday. Leading the charge was freshman Alberto Diaz who assisted on the game tying goal and scored the eventual game winner in the second half.
The long bus trip, coupled with long grass and hot weather, seemed to affect the Reivers first half start as they were outshot by the Tritons 10 to 5. However, it was the Reivers who scored first in the 14th minute. Sophomore Joao Burti received a pass from freshman Dadwin Hernandez just outside the 18 yard box. It took him one look to see that the Tritons' goalkeeper was off of his line, striking the ball over the goalkeeper's head. Eight minutes later the Tritons' Luah Kahnplaye forced sophomore goalkeeper Yuichiro Hayami into a turnover that lead directly to Iowa Central's first goal. The Tritons would then take the lead on a wonder-strike by Rafael De Aquino before going into half-time.
The second half character showed by the Reivers is an example of why they are in the Top 10 of the NJCAA polls. Leading goal-scorer Kwesi Allen's relentless pressure and the savviness of freshman midfielders Alberto Diaz and Dadwin Hernandez proved to be too much for the Tritons to handle. The Reivers would go on to outshoot the Tritons 13 to 6 and scored four goals. "Fort Dodge is never an easy place to play," stated ninth year head coach, Jordan Carver. "With the game being our first ICCAC matchup and on the road, we are very pleased with the win. Whenever you see your team demonstrate character and a willingness to play as a unit, you have to be happy and excited about the future of the group."
Up next for the Reivers is the ICCAC home opener versus Iowa Lakes Community College on Saturday, September 16th. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm CST. Currently the Reivers are 2-0-1 overall, 1-0-0 in conference and Iowa Lakes is 3-3-0 overall, 0-1-0 in conference. The Lakers dropped their conference opener versus Northeast CC. If you are looking for more soccer at the Reiver Soccer Complex, then don't be worried! The Reivers will face non-conference Trinidad State Junior College for the first time on Sunday, September 17th. Kickoff is at 2:00 pm CST. All games are free to the community. Live stream can be found on the Reiver Sports Network.