The Idaho women’s soccer team is gearing up for the six-game spring season, which is set to begin against Gonzaga Saturday. 
The Vandals are finally returning to the pitch after finishing the fall season with a 8-9-2 record, going 4-5-1 in Big Sky competition, finishing out the year on a three-game win streak.
“I think as we look back over the season, there definitely were some disappointments. There were some inconsistencies more than anything,” Idaho Head Coach Derek Pittman said. “I thought we competed very well down the stretch in the last third of the season. I think our players really take a lot of confidence from that and in also some ways by not making the conference tournament, I think our players are even more motivated now than they’ve ever been.”
Idaho had plenty of high points to hang their hats on last season, such as the game-tying goal at the end of regulation against Boise State during their first home game, which was in front of 4,171 fans, setting an NCAA record for attendance in an indoor women’s soccer venue.
There was also the comeback and upset against the then No. 28 team in the country, the Memphis Tigers. After going down four to one in the second half, Idaho orchestrated an epic comeback, winning the match by a score of five to four .
The Vandals only had one senior leave at the conclusion of last season, Olivia Baggerly, but in her exit, she leaves some very big shoes to fill. She finished her career in the top-five of every statistical category and having the second most wins in program history at 36, in her four years at Idaho.
“What Olivia was able to provide for us statistically and from a leadership aspect was very important,” Pittman said.
The Vandals will return 10 members of their starting lineup to spring soccer. The 2018 season will have a total of nine seniors taking part in their final season at Idaho.
Even with Baggerly’s departure, Pittman said he is confident that his team can find new leaders for this upcoming season in the juniors and seniors, one being senior defensive back senior Kelly Dopke.
“You don’t have to look too far to find a strong leader in Kelly Dopke,” Pittman said. “(Dopke) does everything for this team: tremendous defender, great in the air, dangerous on every set piece…She is also a very vocal leader and she now has the experience and the confidence, as well as the humility to be able to step up and be a great leader for this team.”
Pittman said that many other players from the roster such as senior Josilyn Daggs, senior goalkeeper Makayla Presgrave and senior defender Claire Johnson are also strong leaders who can help lead this team to success next season.
The stout and tough defense that Idaho is known for could have their best season yet.
“A cornerstone of our team is our strength defensively, we’re always going to be very organized, very intense, very purposeful in how we defend and how we shut down opposing teams,” Pittman said.
Most of the defensive line and the starting goal keeper will be seniors this year, which could make this team one of the best defensive teams that the Big Sky has seen, headlined by Dopke and Presgrave, who both had very solid stats last season and looking to continue to improve their games.
Also on the defensive unit are Daggs, who is returning from an injury, senior Anna Rose Wiencek, junior Claire Johnson, senior Kayleigh Frederick and junior Ashlee Workman, who all provided quality time in the back line, keeping the game physical and not allowing opposing attackers any easy shots or paths to the net.
The attacking front will be trying to evolve this offseason and take the next step during this offseason, with both starting forwards returning this season, senior Bridget Daley and junior Myah Merino.
Although they both stand under five feet six inches, their incredible speed, footwork and ability to recognize what is happening on the pitch allows them to weave through defense and get quality looks at the goal. Daley led the team in scoring, netting six goals, and Merino was not far behind, having three of her own to close out the year.
“We’ve got the players to be able to do it, they’ve just go to find the rhythm and find the correct spaces to get into so that we can ultimately break teams down quicker with our passing and our movement,” Pittman said. “The spring has been very good for that, I feel that we’ve made some real good strides this past eight weeks prior to spring break and now we are trying to come together and place all those things, mesh them together so to speak as we get into our game coming up.”
Even with the amount of talent and returning members from last season’s squad, Coach Pittman said that no position is safe.
“Our players know that, we’ve told our returners and our freshmen that best players play,” Pittman said.
Idaho also had a successful recruiting season, adding six new players on signing day. They added quality players to every position pool — three defenders and midfielders, two forwards and a new goal keeper. Pittman said he is very excited to have these new players and if they do well enough, they could be in the starting lineups come the fall season.
The Vandals will kick off spring play with a match against the Gonzaga Bulldogs 1 p.m. Saturday in Spokane, Washington.
Zack Kellogg can be reached at [email protected]