NO. 1 NORTHEAST CAPTURES PLAINS DISTRICT TITLE FOR SECOND-STRAIGHT SEASON

NORFOLK, Neb. – The No. 1 Northeast Community College men's soccer team hosted Neosho County Community College Saturday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk in the Plains District Championship. The Hawks took a 2-0 victory to claim an automatic bid to the 2023 NJCAA DII Men's Soccer Championship at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona.

Northeast (20-1, 8-0 ICCAC) and the Panthers set the defensive standard early in the match as it took until the 44th-minute for either team to find the back of the net. Matej Motycka (Sestajovice, Czech Republic) gave the Hawks a 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard right before halftime as his goal assisted by Edouard Nys (Dottignies, Belgium) and Sergio Aspas (Valencia, Spain) gave Northeast some confidence heading into the halftime break.

The Hawks added their second goal in the second half as Edouard Nys was able to tack on to the Northeast lead with an assist from Jeevan Purewal (Wolverhampton, England) and Sergio Aspas. The Hawks defense and four saves from goalkeeper Mathias Kristoffersen (Skovby, Denmark) were enough for Northeast to hoist their second trophy in a week on their home turf.

Northeast will now wait to hear what seed they will be placed in the national tournament on Tuesday during the selection show before competing in the 2023 NJCAA DII Men's Soccer Championship beginning either Sunday, November 12 or Monday, November 13.

STAT SHEET:

Goals: Matej Motycka (Sestajovice, Czech Republic), Edouard Nys (Dottignies, Belgium)

Assists: Edouard Nys, Sergio Aspas (Valencia, Spain) (2), Jeevan Purewal (Wolverhampton, England)

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head Men's Soccer Coach Adam Potter on the multitude of players that came up huge today:

"That's why you bring these guys in," Potter said. "You expect these guys to step up in big moments and make big-time plays in big games. Obviously, they did that. We know what everyone is capable of doing and we tell our guys no matter what number you are on the roster we trust every single person to come into the game and be able to contribute when their time is called upon. Matej Motycka gave us heavy minutes and came up with a big-time play. Mathias Kristoffersen proved exactly why we brought him here. He is just an absolute rock back there. He is a field general back there for us. For us, the big thing is that our team came through. It's not just one guy, but it's our entire team creating success on the field."

Potter on his squad being awarded two trophies in a week on Northeast's home field:

"It's great," Potter said. "The guys have set the culture of what Northeast Men's Soccer is. They have set the brand for what the expectations are for guys in the future. It's been great to have the support of the community and the support of our campus. Those people being there to witness this level of soccer being played at the highest stage in our home city has absolutely been phenomenal."

Potter on his excitement heading into the national tournament:

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," Potter said. "This is what you work for all year. This is what you talk about all summer. This is what you discuss for the entire offseason. This is when the season begins. This is when the fun begins. Now we have the opportunity to go and do something historic. We are going to try and bring home a trophy for Norfolk and Northeast!"

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will battle in the 2023 NJCAA DII Men's Soccer Championship at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona from November 12-18. Stay tuned to the various Northeast Athletics social media feeds and northeasthawks.com for official matchups and game times.

HAWKS HAPPENINGS:

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