The Idaho soccer team opened up Big Sky Conference play against Northern Arizona Friday night in the Kibbie Dome. The Vandals fell to the Lumberjacks 2-1 after a close overtime matchup.
The Vandals took control of the first half when a goal from redshirt freshman Taylor Burst in the 29th minute placed Idaho just ahead of Northern Arizona. Despite the Vandals’ early lead, the Lumberjacks sent the game into overtime with a goal from NAU’s Paige Maling.
In the 93rd minute, NAU’s Adrian Nixt put an end to the game with a goal and started the Vandals’ conference play with a loss.
After this weekend, with a loss against Northern Arizona and a split against Sacramento State, the Vandals sit in ninth in the Big Sky Conference standings, behind both Northern Arizona and Sacramento State but just ahead of the next opponent, Southern Utah.
Many Vandal soccer fans have watched the team play through ups and downs this season, but still expected the returning two-time regular season Big Sky Conference champs to open the season with a bang. Prior to this weekend, Idaho had a winning record versus NAU, leading the series 2-1-1. Last season the Vandals managed to hold the Lumberjacks 2-2 in double overtime yet on Friday the team did not come out tough enough to hold off a tougher NAU.
The game against Northern Arizona was a potential victory Idaho could have really used under its belt as conference play begins. The Vandals currently have a 4-5-2 overall record, however the team has yet to win a game in conference play. This is not the way most fans wanted to see the team start the season.
While the Vandals have not struggled with it in the past, the Big Sky Conference is filled with tough opponents — including North Dakota and Eastern Washington, who sit in first and second in the conference standings, respectively. It is still early in the season, but it is clear Idaho will have to bring its game back to what it was in past seasons as the Vandals seek out their third straight conference title.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected]