It is win or go home time of year in the Region VI Soccer Playoffs and the Cloud County Thunderbirds will live to see another day. The T-Birds used two goals by Freshman Connor Halpin and held on to knock off Cowley College by the score of 2-1 in the Region VI Semifinals. 

Cloud will now move into the final four of the Plains District Championships in Topeka, Kansas on Thurdsday, November 5th. The event will be held at Hummer Sports Complex in Topeka.

The Plains District Championships feature the the final two teams from Region VI and the winners of Region II and Region V. Two of the four teams from the District Championships advance to Nationals.

The intensity was high with big stakes and the Cloud County defense was once again stellar. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half. Cloud Goalie Giulliano Cruci had a huge diving save in the 35th minute to keep the game scoreless into halftime. Cruci made several big stops on the day. 

Connor Halpin scored just after half in the 50th minute on an assist from Dwayne Taylor to give Cloud the lead. Halpin would break free again in the 70th minute and score on an assist from Saindou Ali giving the Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead. 

Cowley found the net in the 87th minute on a header but it was too little too late as Cloud County held on to win 2-1. 

The T-Birds are now 11-2-1 and are now just two wins away from a birth in the National Tournament. It would be Cloud's third trip in five years to the NJCAA National Tournament. Cloud County last played in nationals in 2013. They won the National title in 2011.