CONCORDIA, Kansas — Monday's non-conference game against Hesston College served as a tune-up game for the Cloud County Community College women's soccer team as it prepares for a crucial back-to-back against No. 18 ranked Hutchinson Community College.

The T-Birds took care of the visiting Larks with ease, cruising to a 6-1 victory that propels Cloud into the home stretch of the regular season riding a four-game win streak.

Cloud County (10-3 overall, 8-2 KJCCC West) put Monday's game away early as it jumped out to a 4-0 lead over Hesston College (9-9 overall) at the half behind goals from sophomore Ingrid Silva, and freshmen Yasmidt Mendoza, Joana Villanova and Angie Vergara.

The T-Birds polished off the rout with second-half goals from Villanova and freshman forward Maryanne de Castro.

"The women were phenomenal (Monday)," said Cloud County head coach, James Ross. "If we can score early and finish our chances like that on Saturday in Hutchinson, it'll give us a chance to win the KJCCC West title."

Precision passing keyed the offensive attack as the T-Birds had assists on four of their six goals.

"We let the ball do the work," Ross said. "It wasn't head down and a lot of dribbling. We swung the ball side-to-side and it allowed us to score some very nice goals."

In an afternoon full of positives for the T-Birds, some complacency in the final two minutes, which allowed Hesston to spoil the shutout with 1:41 remaining, was a 120-second stretch Ross said he hopes his team can learn from as postseason play approaches.

"I was disappointed with our last two minutes of the game. You can't let in goals like that," Ross said. "If that's a 1-0 score in a playoff game, you just let the other team tie and take momentum into overtime. It's just a bad goal that can't happen."

The T-Birds, currently atop the KJCCC West standings, will get a little taste of postseason soccer at 1 p.m. this Saturday on the road in Hutchinson when they begin the back-to-back (Oct. 21 and Oct. 23) against the Blue Dragons to conclude the regular season.

Cloud trails Hutchinson by one in the loss column and will likely need to win each contest to claim the KJCCC West crown.

"I love how it's set up to where, if we can go to Hutch and win, we'll get to host that final game," Ross said. "Hutchinson, in my opinion, has the best women's soccer coach (Sammy Lane) in the conference and they will be ready for us. And we're going to be ready for them."