T-Bird Men’s Soccer hosts Otero in Region 9 semifinal tournament

After a successful season, the Casper College Thunderbird Men’s Soccer team will host the Otero Rattlers on Saturday, Oct. 26, for the Region 9 Semifinal Men’s Soccer Tournament at 2 p.m. on Murane Field.

The Thunderbirds, ranked No. 2 in Region 9, go into the semifinals with a 6-2-1 record in conference play and an 11-4-1 overall record. The No. 3 Rattlers, from Otero College in La Junta, Colorado, come into the match with a 5-1-3 record in conference play and a 6-2-4 overall record.

Otero made it to second-round play with a 3-0 win over the Central Wyoming College Rustlers on Oct. 21. “We know Otero will be a tough matchup and expect the game to be a battle,” said Ben McArthur, Thunderbird head coach. Early in the season at home, the Thunderbirds bested the Rattlers 4-0.

The team has been helped by the strong play of its sophomore midfielders, including  Linus Musielak, Dortmund, Germany, seven goals and eight assists overall and three goals and five assists in conference play; Akim Soulemana, Saarbrucken, Germany, one goal in conference play and five assists; Kris Martial, Montreal, Canada, three assists in conference play; Yusuke Higuchi, Hyogo, Japan, one goal and four assists; and Worland’s Court Gonsalez, with four goals and four assists. “The sophomores on the team have really stepped up their leadership in the past few weeks, helping us get a winning streak to end the year,” noted McArthur. “We need to finish our chances in front of the goal, and our back line needs to be clean and organized,” he added.

The semifinal winner will play the winner of the other semifinal, which will also take place on Saturday between the No. 1 ranked Western Nebraska Community College Cougars and the No. 5 Laramie County Community College Golden Eagles.

Admission is free, and the game will also be livestreamed here.