10/11/14 • By Zach Chriswell / zchriswell@columbustelegram.com

COLUMBUS -- Early season struggles can be forgiven if a team plays its best soccer toward the end of the year.

That's exactly what Central Community College head coach Jon Brezenski sees from his Raiders.

"That's what it's all about," he said. "We've got two tough games next week. We just have to keep building this week at practice. I really think, and I still believe it and the coaches believe it and I talked to the captains today about it, if we can just build and get better, we really think we're going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs. We think we can do some damage."

The Central Community College men's soccer team defeated Northwest Iowa Community College 6-2 Saturday at Wilderness Park.

"I thought we played well," Brezenski said. "The kids played well and were relaxed. It was good to see. It was encouraging."

After a mostly scoreless first half, the Raiders went ahead in the 42nd minute when Edson Irineo found Daniel Maganda, who scored to put Central up 1-0.

About two minutes later, Irineo kicked in his own goal for a 2-0 Central lead.

After the halftime break, Rudy Escobar scored in the 55th minute and Irineo kicked in his second goal of the game just a minute later. Central led 4-0.

"We came out right away in that second half and got two goals in the first 10 or so minutes," Brezenski said. "It was good to see. We needed that. It was good to see us get (the third goal), then just pour it on. Those two we got before halftime were obviously big. We missed some great chances early in the first half, but we were able to finish and that's good."

Just three minutes later, Irineo scored his third goal to put the Raiders up 5-0.

"He just played like he can play," Brezenski said of Irineo. "He looked relaxed. I think the whole team looked relaxed. We've kind of seen that in the last three or four days of practice. We've played a little bit more within ourselves and with a little bit more unity and that's what we need going forward."

Northwest Iowa's Ben Vonheeder ended the shutout with a goal in the 63rd minute.

Each team added one more goal for a 6-2 final.

Brezenski was pleased with the defense -- even with the two goals given up.

"For pretty much the whole year, I thought our back line has played well," he said. "We rotate six guys back there and we haven't given up a lot of goals this year, especially over the last four or five weeks of the season."

Central had 17 shots on goal and held the Red Raiders to just five.

Central travels to Northeastern Junior College Friday.

Saturday at Wilderness Park

Northwest Iowa 0 2 - 2

Central (5-7-1) 2 4 - 6

* Goals - NICC: Sam Tinklenberg (63:19), Ben Vonheeder (NA); Central: Daniel Maganda (42:58), Edson Irineo (45:00), Rudy Escobar (55:23), Irineo (56:35), Irineo (59:55), Jhonny Beltran (NA).

* Assists - NICC: None; Central: Irineo, Augustin Palma, Maganda, Jonathan Amador.

* Shots on goal - NICC 5, Central 17.

* Saves - NICC: Aaron Lemon 6; Central: Esteban Curiel 2, Larry Ramirez 2