Weather conditions were not what any soccer team would want on Sunday as the Riverland Blue Devils welcomed Alexandria Tech to Austin for the last regular-season conference game of the year for both teams. It was a huge game, too, with the conference title on the line. A win or tie for Riverland would bring the Blue Devils their first-ever regular season conference title, while a win for the Legends would bring their program a first-ever conference title. So, with extremely strong winds blowing and howling all afternoon, the two teams took to the field to battle for the title, and top seed in the upcoming NJCAA Region XIII tournament.
In the first half, it looked as if it was going to be Alexandria Tech who would come out on top in the game. Riverland was facing the daunting wind right in their faces, as Alexandria pushed to find the net in the first 45 minutes. A steadfast defense, led by central defender Tristin Nosbisch (Mount Vernon, IA), and several fine saves by goalkeeper Camden Williams (Rochester, MN) kept the Legends off the board. The Blue Devils also had the goal itself to thank, as two Alex Tech shots hit the post. The teams went into halftime tied at 0-0.
Riverland thought they would enjoy the same tailwind in the second half as Alexandria did in the first half. However, during the break the winds shifted and were suddenly blowing across the field, giving neither team an advantage. But it was definitely a factor for both teams, as each struggled to deal with its effects on the game.
Riverland's breakthrough came in the 65th minute. The Alexandria Tech goalkeeper rushed out from his goal to try to stop a Blue Devils breakaway but handled the ball outside the box in the process. The result of the play was a red card for the Alex Tech keeper and a free kick just outside the 18-yard-box for Riverland. Poe Reh (Austin, MN) stepped up and slotted the ball past the back-up keeper to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead. They would also play with an 11-10 player advantage for the rest of the game.
Despite being up a goal and a player, Riverland continued to struggle to contain the Legends and, at times, they looked like the team that was down a player. But a few minutes after scoring the first goal, Riverland found a second. Ansumana Jammeh (Rogers, MN) sent a ball across the six-yard-box and it found Alex Ulrich (Owatonna, MN), who shot it into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. The Blue Devils would hang on from there to claim the 2-0 victory and the conference title.
"We definitely didn't play our best, and the wind in our face the first half really seemed to sap our energy," said Riverland head coach Frank Spaeth. "But the mark of good teams is finding ways to win when you're not at your best, or when you're facing adversity. We showed a lot of heart out there, but we know we're going to have to play much better if we're going to defend our regional title later this month."
The win takes the Blue Devils to 6-1-1 in conference, and 7-3-2 overall. They are scheduled to play one more regular-season, non-conference match against Dakota Wesleyan's JV team in Austin on Wednesday, October 16. They'll try to defend their regional title on Thursday, October 24 in Austin, with the opponent still to be determined.
