DRYDEN, N.Y. – The Harper College women's soccer team entered the NJCAA national championships as somewhat of an underdog.  Entering the weekend tournament with a 6-10 record, the Hawks showed they belonged.  Harper earned a victory in their second round match and wound up finishing in sixth place out of eight teams.  Devan Swank was named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
“We wanted to prove that we belonged there,” Cruz said.  “People have not given us the respect that they should have. We felt they wouldn't.”
 
Harper (7-12) faced a steep test right away in the opening round in #2 Gloucester County Community College.  The Hawks played what Cruz called “probably the best soccer we've played the entire season,” but wound up losing 2-1.
 
Harper took a 1-0 lead moments into the second half when Weslie Iza (Palatine, Ill., Fremd) dribbled down the right side and sent the ball towards Gloucester County's goal.  In one motion, Bree Nishibun (Palatine, Ill., Fremd) slid and booted the ball over the Roadrunners' goalkeeper. 
 
“We felt we made them play our way,” Cruz said.  “They allowed us to play to our forwards as much as they possibly could.  We looked to attack them from the outside and that's something we've done all season.  We put Bree forward and she was a little shaken up from an earlier injury.  She finished that ball and she just had a ton of energy throughout the game.”
 
But Gloucester County (17-3) scored twice in the second half to move onto the semifinals and putting Harper in the loser's bracket.  Iza had two shots on goal while Mitshi Ishioka (Carlsbad, Calif., Carlsbad) and Elizabeth Tapia (Hanover Park, Ill., Schaumburg) each added one.  Monica Hinderer (Rolling Meadows, Ill., The Willows Academy) had 12 saves in net.
 
“We felt we dominated play,” Cruz said.  “We had some opportunities.  It was even play.  We didn't finish our chances and they did.”
 
Sore from a grueling opening round, Harper was able to regroup and post an impressive 2-1 overtime win over #8 Anne Arnudel Community College (13-4).  Swank scored both goals for the Hawks.  Nishibun, Iza, Stephanie Chaires and Caila Bender (Schaumburg, Ill., Hoffman Estates) also had shots on goal.  Hinderer was solid in goal with 11 saves.
 
“I expected to win that game in regulation,” Cruz said.  “I thought we were the better team.  We had the better of play.”
 
The weekend ended with a 2-1 loss to #3 Holyoke Community College (20-3).  Nishibun scored the team's goal while Iza and Jacqueline Osborn had three and two shots on goal, respectively.  Hinderer made 17 saves.
 
The team will go down as the second-best team in head coach Dwayne Cruz's 13-year tenure, behind the fifth place squad in 2002.  Harper earned the Region IV automatic berth by beating Joliet Junior College and the College of DuPage in the postseason tournament.
 
“They really stuck by each other as a group,” Cruz said.  “For us, it was a family and really stuck to that.  This group was really close-knit.  Going 4-10 in the regular season, they were a Cinderella group.  And they built something out of it.”