Kelsey Manning chases down the ball during an Oct. 26, 2007 soccer game against the University of Nevada. File photo.

The Idaho Vandals soccer team experienced the same outcome as last season’s match against Cal State-Bakersfield in this season’s opener.
Bakersfield’s Veronica Ramos scored the winning goal in the second minute, to end the double overtime.

Last fall, the Vandals matched up against the Roadrunners at Guy Wicks Field where they lost when Cal State-Bakersfield made a strike from 40 yards ending the game immediately.

This week the game was played in Bakersfield, Calif. and the Vandal women played the first half as if they were a little hesitant and a bit on their heels.  They did not show the drive and determination to win that was proven during practice the previous week.

“It was a game of two halves,” Idaho coach Peter Showler said. “In the first half, we were second to every ball and we played a little rushed. Then in the second half, we were the dominant team — we won every tackle and every header.”

A whole different team set foot on the field for the second half.

“After the first 45 (minutes), the girls stepped up and took control,” Showler said. “They’ve set the standard, now the just have to do it at the first whistle.”

Sophomore Jennifer Eugenio scored her first career goal with 51 seconds left in the match to drive the game into overtime.

During overtime, senior Nicole McAllister made a strike on goal, but fell short when the ball nailed the top cross bar and then bounced out of bounds, leaving the Vandals to bring their best defense for the remainder of the overtime.

“Mac hit a cheeky little chip and it went off the bar, then hit the line and unfortunately bounced out,” Showler said.

Four freshmen, Liz Boyden, Danielle Raczykowski, Shelby Moriguchi and Danielle Hayward, all earned starting positions for the Vandals this season. Liz Boyden started as goalkeeper and played the entire game with four saves and had two goals allowed.

Idaho is now 0-1 on the season and was the Vandal’s third time taking a season opening game into overtime.

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