Sophomore Jennifer Hull, center, stops the ball with Gonzaga University's Taylor Hall, left, and Catherine Cullen closing in during the University of Idaho soccer game on Friday at Guy Wicks Field. Jake Barber/Argonaut

Allowing Gonzaga to score three consecutive goals in the first half of the match on Friday was too much for the University of Idaho Soccer team to overcome, and the resulting loss kept the team from defending last years’ victory.
The Vandal women were not quite ready for Gonzaga’s powerful offense as just 44 seconds into the match they allowed the first goal.  Gonzaga also scored in the 20th and 30th minutes of the match.
“You can’t give teams a one, two, three goal start and expect to win games,” Idaho coach Pete Showler said. “We’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb when we start that way. We just have to be better than that.”

As with the last two games the Vandals have played this season, the second half looked like a completely
different team.
Senior Nicole McAllister came out aggressively showing determination to score. Nine minutes into the second half McAllister showed good patience and controlled the ball as she got past her defender and scored. The goal, from 20-yards out, was her first of the season and the second goal in her career at UI.

“What a fantastic goal,” Showler said. “She bent it and it curled right around the keeper a la (David) Beckham. I was standing right behind her and it was just fantastic to watch.”
McAllister, Sophomore Jennifer Eugenio and Junior Ashley Perez kept the game going as they each saw opportunities to put the ball in the net.

The team is leaving this loss in the past and preparing for the Governor’s Cup September 5-7.  Hosted at Moscow, Showler hopes to get the Vandal women ready for a better first half as they train for the coming season.

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