NORFOLK – The Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer team gave Division II No. 10-ranked Northeast Community College all they could handle, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks swooped to a 2-1 win over WNCC in both teams' season opener Thursday in Norfolk.

                WNCC head coach Todd Rasnic said his team played well, but they just need to find their identity in the final third of the playing field.

                "We played OK, but we are still trying to find our identity. We don't know who we are yet," Rasnic said. "When I look at the game on the field, we are a team trying to find ourselves and once we do that we will be fine."

                Rasnic said that Northeast was a good team and his team hung with them toe-to-toe.

                "I am telling you they were as good as any team that we played last year," he said. "They weren't better than LCCC, but they weren't worse. They were right up there and we should have won that game. The second half especially, we had control of the match for most of it."

                Northeast struck first as Naomi Pedroza took a pass from Sara Pedroza 8 minutes, 28 seconds into the match for a 1-0 lead. After that neither team scored as the Hawks led at intermission 1-0.

                The second half saw the Cougars even the contest as Vanessa Vasquez delivered a pass and after the Northeast goalkeeper dived to get the ball, Izzy Wright was standing in a perfect spot to punch the ball into the back of the net to knot the contest at 1-1.

                Rasnic said Wright's goal was because of an adjustment they made at halftime.

                "I just told them where the space was and to attack," he said. "I told them to go down and beat the outside player and once they beat the outside player put the ball across the middle because that was where the space was. Vanessa beat the player down the field and put the ball into the box and Izzy scored her first college goal, which I thought was pretty cool."

                Two minutes later, Northeast resumed the lead at Romeni Gurmendi scored off of Sara Pedroza's second assist for the 2-1 lead.

                That is where the match stayed as Northeast hung on for the win.

                Both teams had five shots in the contest. WNCC had all five on goal, while Northeast had four on goal.

                 Luisa Cordiero had two saves in net for the Cougars while Northeast's goalkeeper Carolin Stahimann had four saves in net.

                "The girl's are pretty disappointed because they played that team right down to the wire," Rasnic said. "We could have scored to tie it at any time, but we are just have to find out who we are especially in the final third."

                The WNCC women will be back in action Friday when they face Central Community College-Columbus in Columbus.