Following last year’s difficult season in which the Vandals only managed four wins, Idaho coach Derek Pittman gathered the soccer team for a meeting to discuss how it could improve going into the next year.
“We felt like we had let the opportunity of reaching the playoffs slip through our fingers,” Pittman said. “We challenged one another in the offseason to contribute more to our program, and as a team we decided that we weren’t going to be satisfied just being a program in the middle of the pack.”
The offseason discussion ignited a spark in his players, who took the Big Sky Conference by storm this year, going undefeated through the first nine games of conference play.
Idaho also clinched the top seed in the Big Sky Tournament and the right to host the tournament next week at Guy Wicks Field.
It was the first time in school history the soccer team won the Big Sky regular-season title. In fact, Idaho’s title is the first conference title of any kind for the soccer program in the 17 years of its existence.
The Vandals were picked in early August to finish ninth among the 11 conference teams in the Big Sky preseason poll. In the months since that poll was released, the Vandals have posted 13 total victories, including a current nine-game winning streak.
Hosting the Big Sky Tournament next week could prove to be a pivotal playoff advantage for the Vandals.
The program boasts a 6-0-1 record this season at Guy Wicks Field, providing an intimidating environment for rival Big Sky programs that will travel to Moscow next week.
“For us, the opportunity to host is huge,” Pittman said. “We are very used to our field and it provides us with a certain level of comfort to know that we get to play at that level in front of our fans.”
In preparation for the Big Sky Tournament, Idaho will be adding extended bleachers to the field, along with large banners bearing the Big Sky Conference logo.
“There’s only so much that we can do on such short notice,” Pittman said. “But we are going to make it the most professional environment that we possibly can because we take a lot of pride in our program and how we run our organization.”
Pittman said the additions would allow for a larger-than-average crowd at Guy Wicks Field and the university is prepared to receive anywhere from 600-900 fans during the tournament.
“We would love to see a thousand people out at the game,” Pittman said. “That would be fantastic for our team. We love the support that we have gotten so far and we just hope that Vandal fans continue to come out for the remaining games and hopefully cheer us on to the championship.”
Hosting the Big Sky playoffs also allows Idaho the chance to showcase its program to potential recruits, as well as highlight the campus for spectators who arrive in town next week.
The Vandals will enter the tournament Thursday with a first-round bye and an automatic bid to the semifinals Nov. 6. Should the Vandals win their semifinal match, they will take part in the championship game Nov. 8.
The winner of the tournament will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup, with the opportunity to advance to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship Dec. 4-6 in North Carolina.
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom
Jorge
The reinforcements that were added to the team made a difference also. Porter at goal, Dopke on defence, Gomez at midfield and Watanabe and Goo on offence. If the team had just a little bit more ball possession it would help alleviate the pressure felt on defence and would help spark the offense. Successfull season. Great job all around!