A lengthy road trip and a flurry of goals proved too much for the Idaho women’s club hockey team to overcome, as the Vandals fell to Eastern Washington 4-1 in Cheney.
The Eagles (2-1) scored back-to-back goals in the first period to seize control of the tempo early in the matchup.
“I definitely think that we are not really used to the big ice,” Idaho captain Lizzie Jossie said. “It just took us a while to get into a groove.”
Idaho (0-1) adopted a quick offense in the opening minutes of the matchup, but Eastern Washington responded with several counterattacks that caught the Vandal defense off-guard.
Eastern Washington captain Brooke Bogart opened up the scoring midway through the first period after a give-and-go play opened up a hole in the Idaho defense. Bogart’s shot slipped past the outstretched foot of the Vandal goaltender to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The team captain found the net a second time after a defensive breakaway left the center uncovered. Bogart deked the goaltender with a forehand-to-backhand move to force movement to the left, before firing the puck into the right side of the net.
“All my goals are just my team passing it up and then giving me chances,” Bogart said.
The Eagles appeared to score again with 1.2 seconds left in the first period, but referees waved off the goal because the net became dislodged during the play.
Idaho began the second period with a more conservative offensive approach, concentrating more players on the defensive half of the rink in order to thwart the offensive success of Eastern Washington.
Defenseman Haley Smith had several scoring opportunities for Idaho throughout the second period, but her best attempt glanced off the goaltender’s shoulder pad and sailed wide of the net.
The Vandals entered the third period trailing the Eagles 2-0.
“I think that (fatigue) started to hit them and we just got some lucky breaks,” Bogart said.
Freshman Katie Sholty put the Vandals on the scoreboard early in the third period. The right wing stole the puck from the Eastern Washington defense and scored a backhanded goal to cut the score to 2-1.
“I think our line just got super motivated,” Sholty said. “Keanna (Hawk) and I started to cycle really well and work together. I think our teamwork and the way our line played really helped out.”
After ten minutes of the teams trading shots, Idaho employed a faster pace on the ice in order to create a scoring opportunity.
The offensive shift for Idaho opened some gaps in the Vandal defense, which would prove to be the deciding factor in the final minutes of the game.
Bogart took advantage of a Vandal turnover to create a breakaway scoring opportunity. The team captain slipped the puck past the Idaho goaltender to increase the Eagles lead to 3-1 and earn a hat trick.
“A couple of those were breakaways that hit me coming out of the zone and I just got lucky on opportunities,” Bogart said.
Eastern Washington tacked on a fourth goal with 57.4 seconds left in the game, following Maegan DuFour’s rebound goal to seal the victory over the Vandals.
Sholty said that fatigue played a factor in the team conceding two late goals to the Eagles.
“We’re not used to playing on such big ice,” Sholty said. “So I definitely think that was a factor.”
The freshman said that the team would use the game as a learning experience before its next tournament.
“I think we are going to have to learn how to practice and cycle a lot better and learn how to not get tired so fast,” Sholty said.
The Vandals are scheduled to compete in the Palouse Care Cup from Feb. 12-14 in Lewiston.
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom