After shutouts, all-conference accolades and a senior-stacked roster, it all comes down to this.
The regular season is over and the race to the top of Big Sky is here.
Idaho looks to take the conference crown and punch its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
Idaho Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said his team prepared for the moment.
“We finished off on a high note,” Clevenger said. “Finishing October without conceding a goal, finishing as the No. 2 seed, playing well defensively and on the attack, I am very happy with the way we finished and now it’s just a matter of keeping that going into the playoffs.”
Idaho finished the regular season 6-1-2 with one the most potent defenses in the Big Sky, shutting out opponents five consecutive games for the first time in program history.
“Honestly, we hadn’t really noticed until it had been brought it up,” senior defender Claire Johnson said. “It shows that we have been solid and mentally tuned in during games. Before every game we come together just as a defensive line and the keeper and say, ‘Let’s do our job and keep the ball out of the net and stay locked in for the full 90 minutes.’”
Senior defender Kelly Dopke heads the ball toward the goal against Weber State on Senior Day in the Kibbie Dome Sunday.
Assistant Coach Sean Mapson, who worked with senior goal keeper Makayla Presgrave this season, said Presgrave’s overall game — ball handling, reading the field and consistency have all improved and helped lead the Vandals through the strong season. The Vandals were successful at home, 6-0-1, but with the tournament in Ogden, Utah, one big question looms — can the Vandals perform away from home and keep their momentum rolling?
When looking at the bracket of competition that made it this far into the season, it is clear no one will stroll their way to a conference victory.
On the Vandal’s side of the bracket, they will face Northern Colorado, who defeated Eastern Washington in the first round.
Northern Colorado beat Idaho earlier this season 0-3 and finished the season 6-2-1. The Bears also boast the best scoring offense in the conference, with 34 goals through the year and the top scorer through the regular and conference season.
Eastern Washington lost 1-0 in the Kibbie Dome off senior defender Kelly Dopke’s first half goal and have a conference record of 4-4-1. The Eagles are leading the conference in shots this season, averaging nearly 16 per game, also through the regular and conference season.
If Idaho beats either team, it will go to the conference championship game to play against one of three teams — No. 6 Montana, No. 4 Northern Arizona, or No. 1 Weber State.
Montana kept Idaho at bay earlier this year and come away with a 1-1 draw in Missoula on route to its 3-2-4 record. The Grizzlies offense left some to be desired, but their strong defense kept games close and gave themselves opportunities to win.
Northern Arizona was also able to pull out a draw with Idaho, 0-0, in the last game of the season. The Lumberjacks allowed the fewest goals this season in the Big Sky, and kept games close, but the team possesses more offensive firepower to finish out games, or at the least avoid losses, shown in their 5-1-3 conference record.
Finally, the top-seeded Weber State comes in at 7-1-1, with the lone loss against Idaho 2-0. Weber State has been the team to beat so far this season. The Wildcats don’t have the best defense, but their elite offense allows them to get up and stay up during games — one of the biggest chal- lenges the team pose to Idaho should they meet. The Vandals know what it will take to come away with wins.
Idaho knows it needs to score in crunch time — one goal makes or breaks the season.
“It just takes one or two to solidify a game,” Presgrave said.
It won’t be rocket science to prepare for the long conference road ahead, Mapson said.
“Just keep doing what we have been doing really,” she said. “There aren’t going to be any drastic changes, just
stick to the things that have worked for us.”
With the tournament approaching and the pressure that comes along with it, former Idaho Head Coach Derek Pittman shared words of wisdom with his former team.
“Just be themselves and do what they have always done, which is play with the team’s core values in mind — the values of heart and hustle, ohana and excellence is what they have always led them to their successes and it was what will carry them onto success in the Big Sky Tourney and future endeavors in their lives,” Pittman said. “I am extremely proud of this team and all that they are accomplishing this season.”
Pittman gave praise to Clevenger for the success he found this season and the job he has done with the team to get them to the No. 2 seed.
Regardless of the matchups, this is beginning to look like a great showcase of Big Sky soccer and a prime chance for Idaho to win the tournament and make its first NCAA tournament appearance.
Idaho will play the winner of No. 3 Northern Colorado and No. 6 Eastern Washington at 11 a.m. PST, Friday (Nov. 2) in Ogden, Utah.
Zack Kellogg can be reached [email protected]