The last 20 minutes of the Idaho Vandals’ women’s soccer match against Eastern Washington unfolded like a movie script, and the Vandals found their happy ending.
Five minutes remained at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, the crowd in nervous tension, the scoreboard frozen at 2-2 with the Eagles, the air thick with desperation.
On the field, junior midfielder Sara Rodgers collected the ball wide. She blew past her defender, lifted her head and surveyed the box as defenders swarmed toward her, closing the space.
She had seconds. Her foot swept through the ball, a low, driven cross that skimmed across the turf, slicing through scrambling legs and desperate lunges. There, between two defenders, timing her run to perfection, was senior forward Karli Yoshida-Williams.
Yoshida-Williams collected the ball and hit a powerful shot that rippled the net. The dome exploded in a roar. When the final whistle blew moments later, the scoreboard read Idaho 3, Eastern Washington 2. The Vandals had created their magical moment.
“Once I saw Sara Rodgers come down the line, I was like, I have to work to get in front of the box and get a chance to at least put it away,” Yoshida-Williams said. “It was the last five minutes of the game, so I worked as hard as I can in the last five minutes for her and everyone else.”
Yoshida-Williams, who recently moved to central midfield to help the Vandals with her creativity and playmaking, has enjoyed the switch and was happy to get her first goal of the season.
“I love being a playmaker and giving my teammates opportunities to go down the line and then being able to get the ball back from them,” she said. “Moving to center mid, I feel like I have a really good opportunity to do that as well as still support them, but then obviously still be able to be on top of the box and still get a goal.”
Fifteen minutes before the game winner by Yoshida-Williams, the Vandals were in control of the match, leading 1-0 off a 12th-minute header by redshirt sophomore Calli Chiarelli for her third goal of the season. The Eagles, however, were not out of the fight and punched right back.
The Vandals continued the momentum and held onto the lead deep into the second half until the Eagles decided to make a plot twist of their own.
The Eagles were building and threatening a tying goal, and after a few great opportunities, they got on the scoreboard.
In the 72nd minute, junior midfielder Kendall Moore dribbled past a few Vandal defenders, cut back to her left foot and fired a rocket toward the goal. Despite the best efforts of redshirt sophomore keeper Paula Flores, the ball crept over the line to tie the game for the Eagles.
Seven minutes later in the 79th minute, the Eagles had a free kick within shooting range and sophomore defender Audrey Schlotfeldt made no mistake. She approached the ball and put a perfectly struck kick into the top corner to put the Eagles up 2-1 with just over 11 minutes left.
Idaho, having just lost the lead, had to act quickly and regain composure. After winning a corner kick in the 83rd minute, they had a chance to equalize.
Junior midfielder Tori Peters approached the ball and put it toward the front post. Rodgers saw it coming and connected her head through the ball, placing it into the bottom corner to equalize. The goal erupted the Vandals sideline and fans, giving the team life.
Rodgers, who isn’t on the stat sheet often, found two moments of magic and delivered a goal and an assist to help the Vandals take down the Eagles.
“That’s something I work on over and over again. I know I can score those goals,” Rodgers said. “I tried to get open for Tori or whoever’s crossing in the ball, and to get in those areas where all I have to do is just place it. I’m happy I got on that one to tie it. I did not want to lose.”
Rodgers, who doesn’t cross very often, played the right pass at the right time and executed a situation they work on in practice all the time to get ready for those moments.
“I’m usually not in those situations very often up there. We work on getting wide in the channels and playing balls in all the time at practice, so I was like, might as well just go for it, and it worked out for me,” Rodgers said.
The Vandals, after a few struggles this season, scored three goals in a game for the first time in conference play and the second time this season. They stepped up in the big moments to get the win. Head coach Jeremy Clevenger was pleased with the way they handled adversity and secured the victory.
“We’re done with ties, we want to win. what a wild game,” Clevenger said. “I’m really proud of the group not to drop their heads and keep battling, and to fight for it and get it done.”
With this thrilling victory, the Vandals move to 5-4-6, (2-1-2) on the season and will have a week off before they head out for their final road trip of the regular season and take on the Portland State Vikings on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at arg-s[email protected].