Over the last two weeks, Vandal soccer (4-4-0, 4-2-0 BSC) has kicked off their Big Sky Conference season. The first two matches were lost 0-1 against the University of Montana (5-0-0, 4-0-0 BSC).
However, the team has turned around their results and won their last four matches, the first two being 5-0 wins against Portland State University (0-5-0, 0-5-0 BSC) and the last pair being 2-1 and 2-0 wins against Sacramento State (1-2-4, 0-2-2 BSC).
In Idaho’s first match of the Big Sky season, Montana scored a goal in the first half and played strong defense to block out any incoming goals, leading to a season record of 0-3 for Idaho.
The second match between Montana and Idaho met a temporary stalemate, with the match going into overtime. Montana finally scored a goal, leading the Vandals to a 0-1 loss in overtime and turning a suspenseful match into a swift loss.
The first match against Portland State on March 19, however, had quite different results for Idaho. In a dominant performance that netted them their first win of the season, the Vandals scored five total goals against the Vikings, three in the first half and two in the second.
The Vandals showed not only a strong offense in this match, making five out of 11 shots on goal, but also a strong defense by blocking two shots on goal and another seven shots.
The second match against Portland State on March 21 ended with the same score, making three goals in the first half and two in the second, putting another win on their record. This match was a continuation of the performance put on in the previous one.
Idaho was able to net their first goal within six minutes of the first half, with the second goal coming at the 23 minutes, nearly the exact same time as the first goal of the first match against Portland State. The Vandals then continued this streak of scoring through the rest of the match, eventually winning 5-0 and rounding out their record at a nice 2-4.
In the March 26 match, the Vandals went up against the Sacramento State Hornets in a match that did not pick up, in terms of goals, until the second half. In the second half, freshman midfielder Margo Schoesler made a goal that put the Vandals in the lead, but Aubrey Goodwill from Sacramento State led a return goal that tied the score. In the very last minute, redshirt senior forward Myah Merino led a goal that won the match for the Vandals.
The senior day match against the Hornets on March 28 resulted in a 2-0 win for the Vandals, with Schoesler and redshirt sophomore midfielder Sidney Schmidt making the goals. The Hornets were on an equal playing field with the Vandals before the half, but then they fell behind as the Vandals when they were outshot, 9-5 with a 5-2 shot on goal advantage.
Across every match many players stood out, but none shone more than Merino, who had a total of 18 shots on goal and three goals across the six matches. Other standout players during the Big Sky season included Schoesler with nine shots and two goals, senior midfielder Kaysie Bruce with 16 shots and four goals as well as freshman forward Maddy Lasher with four shots and two goals
The Vandals hit the field to end the season against Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, at 3 p.m. on Friday and noon on Sunday. The matches will be streamed on PlutoTV channel 1053.
Dylan Shepler can be reached at [email protected]