The Vandal soccer team opened WAC play with a win on Sunday against the Grand Canyon Antelopes. The team was looking for its first win of the season.
“It was a scrappy win, but we will take it any way it comes,” Idaho coach Pete Showler said. “In parts, it was good today. In other spots, we still have areas to improve upon. That said, we will take the win any way it comes.”
The Vandals broke a seven game losing streak with the 3-1 victory over the Antelopes. The three goals are the most scored so far this season for the Vandals.
Idaho came out of the gate strong, outshooting Grand Canyon 4-0 in the first 20 minutes of the game. They also played solid defense during that span, keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field. Idaho goalkeepers Torrell Stewart and Marina Siegl each had two saves on the day.
In the 20th minute, midfielder Alyssa Pease netted a goal off of a corner kick from Katie Baran. For Pease, a freshman from Bend, Ore., it was her second goal of the season and first in front of the home crowd.
“I was standing by myself on the goal line and the ball just came to my feet,” Pease said. “I just kind of tapped it in. It was really weird, but it worked.”
With the score at 1-0, the Vandals and Grand Canyon went back and forth until the 27th minute when Grand Canyon scored an own goal to put the Vandals up 2-0.
Idaho added to its lead in the 67th minute when Katie Baran scored on a shot from 10 yards out on a pass from freshman Alyssa Lloyd. Baran had a goal and an assist during the game and moves into fifth all-time in assists at Idaho with 11 in her career.
Grand Canyon’s only goal came on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute from Cierra Valdez.
“When they got the penalty, we aren’t sure what it was for,” Showler said. “We haven’t watched the film yet.”
The Vandal soccer team returns to the pitch on Friday to host the New Mexico State Aggies. It will be the fourth-straight home game for Idaho.
Rick Clark can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu