OTTUMWA — It wasn't just picking up a teammate.
Considering the circumstances, Waleed Hadj-Hamou may have picked up the entire Indian Hills men's soccer team last Wednesday.
The freshman from Texas was able to get a foot on ball even while being tackled by Iowa Western freshman Diogo Sanches. Hadj-Hamou was sprawled out on the ground while the rest of his teammates were celebrating on the field as the Warriors broke through with the biggest win of the season, earning a 1-0 win over Iowa Community College Athletic Conference rival Iowa Western.
The victory not only gave Indian Hills a leg up in the regional standings, it gave the Warriors a much-needed result both in terms of the outcome and how it was secured. Indian Hills overcame a red card given to Furkan Cengizay in the second half, erasing the advantage earned after Iowa Western sophomore Quelou Ayemi was also issued a red card late in the first half.
Just over three minutes after losing Cengizay for the rest of the match, the Warriors earned a chance to break the scoreless tie. Dufour drew a foul from Armstrong Moussio going up for a header in the box, resulting in a penalty kick opportunity in the 59th minute.
Dufour, the team leader entering the match with seven goals on the season, fired a shot towards Fausto Delgado in hopes of converting the penalty kick. Instead, Delgado hammered the ball away from the net, but right back towards Hadj-Hamou who blasted the rebound past the Iowa Western goalie with just over 31 minutes left in the match.
"I had confidence in Jules. I really wasn't expecting that rebound," Hadj-Hamou said. "I just followed it up and the ball fell right to my feet.
"He (Hadj-Hamou) saved my life on that one," Dufour added. "He's definitely the man of the match."
Dufour's team-leading eighth goal proved to be just as big for the Warriors on Sunday, snapping a 1-1 tie in the 66th minute of a 2-1 non-conference road win at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Dufour's goal came six minutes after Leo Morley-Robertson's game-tying tally as the Warriors erased a 1-0 deficit earning yet another key win in the hopes of earning a second straight national championship.
"Our guys understand that we need to get results," Indian Hills head men's soccer coach Zach Newton said. "I think that desperation is coming out of our guys. It's leading to an improved mentality and work rate. They understand that, if we want to have a chance to get back to the national tournament, winning against Iowa Western is paramount."
Indian Hills moved up to 12th in the NJCAA national rankings thanks to the wins over Iowa Western and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The Warriors close out the regular season with two more matches against the Reivers, including a trip to Council Bluffs on Thursday night at 6 p.m. Indian Hills can secure a spot in the NJCAA Midwest District Tournament with either a win or two draws in the last two matches, giving the Warriors a chance to win their way into the national tournament.
"It's still make-or-break for us," Newton said. "We have to have the same menality and that same work ethic with that heart, hunger and soul that we've been showing. If we do that, we can win our remaining matches."