After a 4-1 win over Montana Friday, the Idaho women’s soccer team failed to keep the momentum into Sunday’s game against Eastern Washington.
The Vandals lost 2-1 to the Eagles in Cheney.
The game ended an 11-0 win streak and marked Idaho’s first loss in conference play since 2014.
Idaho head coach Derek Pittman said the team responded well in the first half of Friday’s game in Missoula.
“Overall, as a team, our intensity, our mentality, our commitment to the game plan was spot on today,” he said in a news release. “I thought it was our most complete game up to this point.”
Senior midfielder Elexis Schlossarek scored her third goal of the season in minute 23.
Minutes later, senior forward Kavita Battan found the same spot and sank a second goal.
Freshmen midfielders Emma Eddy and Myah Merino helped bring the ball to junior forward Olivia Baggerly, who scored Idaho’s third goal.
Schlossarek gave Eddy the ball in the 65th minute and Eddy brought the ball into the net.
Montana entered the match with an 11-0 conference game unbeaten streak at home. It’s been five years since Montana gave up four goals in a home game.
“It’s a massive three points on the road in Big Sky play,” Pittman said. “Not many teams are going to come in here and get a result against Montana with the way they play. They’re organized, they’re athletic. We know it’s difficult to come to Missoula and get a result but … we were prepared to come into a difficult environment.”
Idaho fought to force overtime during Sunday’s game but fell short.
Pittman said the Eagles caused the Vandals many problems.
“We were a little flat and we lacked the intensity that we needed in the first half and that’s why we found ourselves down,” he said in a news release. “But we picked ourselves up in the second half and I thought we did an excellent job of putting them under a lot of pressure and getting the equalizer.”
The tie came off a penalty kick from Schlossarek. Sophomore defender Claire Johnson took a shot and an Eagle defender was caught with her hands up. The penalty set up Eastern Washington’s Delaney Romero to take the winning shot
Senior goalkeeper Torell Stewart made three saves in under one minute during overtime.
Idaho returns home from a month-long road trip 4 p.m Friday at Guy Wicks Field, when the Vandals take on Northern Colorado.
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos