Pair of penalty kicks lift Northwest past No. 7 Heartland
Photo: Brandy Hernandez provided two goals, both on penalty kicks, as No. 1 Northwest picked up a 3-2 win against No. 7 Heartland on Wednesday. (Sarah Smith/nwccrangers.com)
Credit: Northwest Community College Sports Information
Aug. 28, 2024 – Sophomore Brandy Hernandez delivered for Northwest when it mattered most.
Battling with No. 7 Heartland on a scorching hot Wednesday afternoon, the sophomore from Trinity, Ala. provided a pair of penalty kick goals in the Lady Rangers’ gritty 3-2 victory. The win improved Northwest to 2-0, while dropping the Lady Hawks to 3-1.
Facing a challenging back-and-forth battle throughout the opening half, Northwest finally broke the ice in the 37th minute, as a foul in the box allowed Hernandez to score on the ensuing penalty kick. The goal was the first of the season for Hernandez and the score allowed the Lady Rangers to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
However, Heartland came out of the break with the added momentum. After pushing the Lady Rangers’ defense to the limit in the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Lady Hawks also got the benefit of a penalty kick, which was successfully converted by Valeria Agudelo in the 61st minute. Less than three minutes later, Valentina Bertal scored the go-ahead goal, pushing Northwest into a 2-1 deficit.
Heartland kept the momentum up through the next couple of minutes, before a mandatory heat timeout was taken. Fortunes changed for Northwest soon after, as yet another foul in the box in the 69th minute set up another penalty kick for Hernandez. Much like her first attempt, the sophomore successfully scored and tied the match at 2-2.
Just minutes later, Emma Jensen’s cross attempt floated into the top left corner of the net, resulting in a surprise go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute. From there, the Lady Rangers locked down defensively, denying Heartland the rest of the way.
Both teams combined for just 13 shots in the first half, with Northwest taking nine. However, both offenses ramped things up in the second half, with the Lady Rangers finishing the match with a 20-15 margin in total shots. Additionally, Northwest finished with 14 shots on-goal, while the Lady Hawks ended with 12.
Heartland was whistled for 14 fouls, compared to seven from the Lady Rangers. Maria Hernandez and Agudelo were each whistled for cautions in the 42nd and 67th minutes, respectively, while Ruby Barton was given a yellow card for Northwest in the 49th minute.
Anna Kathryn Harrell improved her season record to 2-0, while earning 10 saves in a full 90 minutes of action. Alice Arrigucci tallied 11 saves for Heartland in a full 90-minute slate.
Northwest will step out of regular season competition on Friday afternoon for an exhibition at Rhodes College, scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time. The Lady Rangers will resume regular season competition on Monday, Sept. 2 against sixth-ranked Northeast (Neb.), which is slated for a 10 a.m. start time.
