For the first time in the spring, the Idaho Vandals’ women’s soccer team was back playing in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, where they were undefeated in the fall. They kept that streak going, putting on a show behind four different goal scorers and rolling to a 4-0 victory over Spokane Community College.
“[It’s] one of those games to get some players get more minutes and opportunities,” Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said. “To score in different ways, and players that haven’t scored yet, I think it was a good opportunity for them.”
With the game about to start, there was a surprise: Starting goalkeeper Paula Flores was not heading to the Vandals’ goal, but instead was playing for Spokane CC, which was unable to bring their goalkeeper.
“It was a challenge,” Flores said. “Every team plays differently in the first five minutes. It was a little harder to think, because they do play a lot differently than us.”
The Vandals wasted no time in putting a goal past Spokane. In the sixth minute, Washington State transfer Georgia Whitehead, who showed flashes against WSU, picked up the ball and burst up field. Whitehead, given some space, unleashed a 30-yard strike that found the bottom corner and opened the scoring.
“I’ve been working on my shots. I think they moved me from outside back to outside mid. So, they’ve been on me about just taking that shot and taking my opportunities, because I’ve got that defensive mindset,” Whitehead said. “So, I took a chance, and it went in, I was pretty happy about it.”
After the goal, Spokane started to find a rhythm and connected some passes. However, they could not get any shots on target and the Vandals found control of the game again.
With Idaho back in control, Washington transfer midfielder Deanna Montero showed her creativity and dribbled towards the back line. She cut to the right and was fouled, setting up a free kick around 25 yards from the goal.
Montero took the free kick herself and went under the wall, placing it in the opposite corner, rocketing by Flores and the Vandals led 2-0.
“I got fouled outside the box and taking shots outside the box is my range, so when I got fouled, I was like, ‘I’m taking the kick,’” Montero said.
The Vandals took the 2-0 lead into the locker room. When they came out of the locker room, another goalkeeper change was made. Goalkeeper Ella Martin, who pitched a shutout for the Vandals in the first half, had switched with Flores and was now playing for Spokane.
Like the first half, the Vandals came out showing their talent and skill and their smooth passing led to the third goal. In the 55th minute, Idaho switched the ball to the right side and it found the feet of defender Taylor Ingersol. She advanced the ball up the right wing before she cut back to her left foot.
Ingersol then took a few dribbles with her left to create separation. She took a shot that left her foot with perfection, bending away from Martin and curling into the top left corner to give the Vandals a 3-0 lead.
Idaho would finish the game off 17 minutes later. In the 72nd minute, midfielder Sara Rodgers worked hard in the box to get open, the ball fell perfectly for her and she made no mistake heading it in for the fourth goal.
Throughout the spring, the Vandals have used their depth and shown that they have a talented team. The one position where they have shown both depth and quality is goalkeeper.
With two quality starting goalkeepers in Martin and Flores, both pitching shutouts in the spring and making huge saves throughout the games, the Vandals will be in a great spot when the fall rolls around.
“Both have stepped up,” Clevenger said, “Paula being the starter and Ella is a freshman. Having her come in, having that experience in the spring, get more game time, both keepers have shown well.”
The competition for goalkeeper is a tough one to judge, and with only one player getting the role, it can be cutthroat. However, Flores and Martin embraced the competition and made each other better goalkeepers in the process.
“It’s been good, we make each other better,” Flores said. “We are always challenging each other, whether it’s in practice, after practice, hitting long balls, doing everything. We’re always there for each other. It’s been a good spring for both of us.”
The Vandals have a lot of fresh faces — whether they’re transfers or players that didn’t get much playing time — that have shown their talent and ability in the spring. The Vandals have shown signs of being a dangerous team again in the fall and competing for another Big Sky championship. Clevenger liked what he has seen from the group throughout the spring.
“We changed formations, we tried something different and it’s a new way of playing and doing things. They’re a team that works hard,” Clevenger said. “They come to work; they listen and they’re coachable. I’m proud of seeing the progression they’ve had this spring.”
The Vandals will have two weeks off before they have their last spring game, an alumni game with past Vandals, on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m.