For the second time this season, the Idaho Vandals brought the fight to their home turf, still riding the high of their series of road wins and hungry to keep the streak going. After proving themselves away from home, the Vandals returned to the Kibbie Dome ready to carry that momentum onto their own field. The match was a defensive battle, with the Vandals securing another 1-0 victory behind a dominant defensive effort and holding off Grand Canyon until the final whistle.
As has been the case with many of this season’s matches so far, the defensive lineup was rock-solid and absolutely dominant, keeping the game out of the Vandals side of the field for the first several minutes of the game. Their defense set the tone early, making it difficult for Grand Canyon University to find any offensive rhythm.
During this offensive push, around the ten-minute mark, senior forward Calli Chiarelli scored for the Vandals off a defensive fumble on Grand Canyon University’s own end. The early goal gave Idaho the advantage and set the pace for what would become a tense and physical matchup.
This ended up being the only goal of the game, for both the Vandals and the visiting Antelopes, but it was far from the only attempt. In the first half alone, senior forward, Georgia Whitehead, had a narrowly prevented shot on goal, which would’ve extended their lead almost out of reach completely. Sophomore forward Makenna Stuart had a beautiful one-on-two opportunity and was just barely blocked by Antelope senior goalie Emma Knack. Sophomore middie Mia Boltz managed to find the top of the Antelopes’ net from the outside.
To highlight a defender with a particular eye for offense, freshman Kalina Barbosa had both an incredible header that only just missed the goal, as well as a snipe from the corner through the chaos of the box in front of the net. Barbosa was a powerhouse throughout the entire match, providing excellent defense, skilled footwork, and a knack for reading plays even from the back of the crowd. Her ability to contribute on both ends of the field made her one of the Vandals’ standout players.
After a first half charged with tension and energy, the Vandals came back strong for the second. They’re awake. They want the win. Their momentum was still picking up.
Unfortunately, the Antelopes had found a similar drive over halftime. The intensity only grew as both teams fought to take control of the match.
The second half of the match was full of screens, tackles, and defensive maneuvers that appeared messy at best and outright poor sportsmanship at worst. Both teams played the rest of the game with an obviously growing frustration, equally competitive. With only one goal separating the teams, every possession became increasingly important as the final minutes ticked away.
Despite all that, the first official yellow card was called on freshman GCU midfielder Lia D’Afonseca just after the 85-minute mark. One more yellow for the Vandals bench only minutes after that, and then the game was over. They’d done it. The Vandals had won again 1-0, this time on home turf.
After a long stretch on the road, the Vandals defended their honor in our very own Kibbie Dome. The game was a brutal one, but that only made the victory sweeter. Idaho held onto its early lead through a hard-fought second half and added another win to an already promising start to the season. The season has only just begun, but clearly this one will be one for the books.
The Vandals will be on the road to take on San Francisco University in San Francisco on Thursday, September, 17 at 7 p.m.