The University of Idaho Argonaut

The winter months are quiet out on the Guy Wicks soccer pitch, and aside from the occasional snowman, it is generally uninhabited. The University of Idaho’s soccer team takes this time to slow down and relax.
“Right now all we can do is condition — the nice thing is that after that, they can go to class and then they are done,” Idaho coach Pete Showler said.

The team runs four mornings a week from around 6:30 to 8 a.m. and attends classes like most other Idaho students. Some members have even found the time to play on an intramural basketball team.
While the team takes this break from their more rigorous in-season schedule, the coaching staff is hard at work preparing for the spring and ultimately the 2008 season.

This spring the Vandals have scheduled five games, including match-ups with Washington State and Gonzaga.
Though the team’s competitiveness leaves them with the desire to win these games, Showler stressed that winning was not his number one priority.

“We can do different things in these games because the results don’t lead to anything,” Showler said. “I’m more concerned with how we play and that we are developing and nurturing good habits. We can go and win all five games, and not play well, or we could lose all five and play well.”

Also on the Idaho spring schedule is an alumni game in celebration of the program’s 10 year anniversary on April 12. The team hopes to see a large turnout of previous teammates return to compete in the event.
As with all college teams, winter has also brought recruiting to Idaho soccer’s table. Showler and his staff have recruited five new players.

Joining Idaho soccer in the fall will be; Liz Boyden of Spokane, Wash., Danielle Hayward of Salem, Ore., Desirae Hull of Los Alamos, N.M., Dani Raczykowski of Cheney, Wash. and Shelby Moriguchi of Kapolei, Hawaii.
Four of the new players have signed an official letter of intent, and Moriguchi will come to Idaho as a recruited walk on.
“The key to all of these five players is that they are from winning programs,” Showler said.
“We’ve got some top notch, quality, student athletes, but now they’ve got to come in and prove themselves. It is a great base to build from.”

Showler noted that while the staff looked for top notch athletes, they wanted players who are top notch students as well.
“There is a common thread with all of them; they are all good student athletes. They are very good students in the classroom,” he said.
These recruits will play alongside a still considerably young but experienced Vandal soccer program next year. Only  two seniors graduated from the 2007 team.  
“We have the core of last year’s improved team back so if nothing else they will pull tighter together and continue improving,” Showler said.