The Vandal women’s soccer team’s hopeful return to the WAC Championships will now be an uphill battle.
After a pre-season with mixed results, the Idaho soccer team headed to California hoping to start conference play on the right foot, but came away with a pair of losses instead.
The Vandals (4-8-2) lost consecutive games by one goal, losing to Fresno State 1-0 Friday and San Jose State Sunday, 2-1.
“Other teams seem hungrier than we do right now,” coach Pete Showler said. “That’s something we can change.”
Inconsistency has plagued the Vandals’ offense this season and that was the case again this weekend in California. The Vandals have failed to score multiple goals in their last six matches, racking up only three goals during that period.
“We’re not putting the ball in the back of the net. We’re not finishing our chances,” Showler said.
The Vandals matched Fresno State offensively in the first half but that effort trailed off after halftime as the Bulldogs put seven shots on goal. One of those shots created an opportunity for Fresno’s Tara Boynton to sneak in a rebound in the 58th minute and give the Bulldogs the only goalthey would need.
“We matched them and played with some great possession,” Showler said. “Caroline pulled off a great save and they nipped it in and snuck a win.”
The Vandals came close to a breakthrough in San Jose against the Spartans, who came into the match with only one win. Idaho junior Chelsea Small gave the Vandals hope when she took advantage of a Spartan mistake in the 65th minute. Spartan goalkeeper Meghan Maiwald came outside of the box to save a long ball, Small took the ball and put it in the back of the net from 25 yards out to make it 1-0 Idaho.
It took the Spartans 38 seconds to deflate the Vandals with an equalizing goal. A late winner in the 83rd minute for the Spartans clinched their 2-1 victory and sent the Vandals home with an 0-2 conference record.
“Chelsea scored a great goal for us, then 38 seconds later, we concede one,” Showler said. “It was just sloppy…that’s not going to get it done.”
Showler thinks the team is close, but for whatever reason it just hasn’t come together.
“We just have to be more aggressive…more committed to the cause” he said.
It isn’t too late for the Vandals to change their fortunes in the WAC. Hawaii travels to Moscow Friday for Idaho’s first home conference game of the season.