The University of Idaho women’s soccer team is coming off its first-ever Big Sky championship and NCAA tournament appearance. The Vandals will kick off their spring season in just under two months with a familiar opponent: Washington State University.
The Vandals were defeated 2-0 by the Cougars last spring and look to flip the result when they host the Cougars on April 3 at 6:30 p.m. The Cougars finished the 2023 season 9-6-4 (2-5-4) and should be an excellent test for the Vandals to open the spring.
The Vandals then face a pair of Division II schools. First, Idaho hosts Central Washington, who is coming off a 3-12-4 (2-8-4) season. The Vandals take on the Wildcats on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.
The following Saturday, the Vandals head to Washington to face Great Northwest Athletic Conference powerhouse Seattle Pacific. Pacific finished with an impressive 13-4-5 (9-0-5) record. They also reached the NCAA Division II tournament, where they fell in the second round to Point Loma. Idaho faces Pacific on Saturday, April 20, at 5 p.m.
The Vandals will stick around Seattle to take on the University of Washington at noon on April 21. The Vandals are looking to avenge their 3-1 loss to the Huskies last season. The Huskies finished the 2023 season 9-5-5 (4-4-3), landing them seventh in the PAC 12.
The Vandals finally head back home to host the University of Gonzaga, which ended Idaho’s 2023season, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The Bulldogs finished the 2023 season 14-4-2 (6-1-1), winning the West Coast Conference and booking a place in the NCAA tournament.
The Bulldogs defeated the Vandals 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, then went on to lose 2-1 to UC Irvine in the next round to end their season. The Bulldogs will have a new head dog at the helm next season.
Head Coach Chris Watkins accepted the head coach job at Boston College University, so assistant coach Katie Benz will step in as head coach of the Bulldogs.
The Vandals are set up for a great spring season and have a chance to sharpen their irons and develop players before they open the 2024 season in August.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on X @JaydenBarfuss10