No better way to close out the final non-conference weekend of the season with a Vandal win.
Idaho soccer picked up a 1-2 loss at Oregon State, ending its six-match losing streak by picking up a win to North Dakota in the Kibbie Dome Sunday.
“It feels great,” Idaho Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said after the win. “I thought we controlled most of the game and deserved the win.”
Now sitting at 3-7 and with the non-conference now behind them, here are the takeaways from this weekend.
Finally scoring again
Since the loss to Mississippi State on September 1, the Vandals have been struggling to find the back of the net.
That changed when senior midfielder Morgan Crosby scored a header against Oregon State and against North Dakota, freshman defender Emmy Moore and senior forward Juliana deTar found the back of the net.
“It was really stressful, the whole losing streak, so now we can just breath,” deTar said.
Juliana deTar celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against North Dakota Sunday. Leslie Kiebert | Argonaut
With senior forward Myah Merino going down with an injury and no timetable for her return, the carousel of forwards seems to have finally found someone to help step into the role that Merino left behind.
In Sunday’s win, deTar finished the game with six shots, three of which were on goal, with the goal-ending up being the game-winner with 1:51 left in the second half, just a few minutes after the Fighting Hawks tied it and looking to send it into overtime.
“(deTar) had a great game and she deserved a goal,” Clevenger said. “She had a great first half. Missed a breakaway, so I think she was due, and for her to come through in a big-time moment for us, that’s only going to give her confidence.”
A new spark
With Merino and graduate student defender Kayleigh Frederick out of the lineup, it was up in the air to see how this team would answer to this adversity.
“We lost two great players…anytime you lose those kinds of players, it’s going to take time to adjust,” Clevenger said. “But now other people are starting to step up.”
After Sunday’s win against North Dakota, Idaho looked to be the better team for the better part of the 90 minutes after Moore’s initial goal, finding a groove offensively and continuing to play stout defense that the program has become known for.
“We’re really starting to figure out how to communicate,” Moore said. “We are just moving more as a unit than we were before.”
Momentum
After breaking the six-match losing streak, the Vandals now can breathe a much-needed sigh of relief that their losing woes are over for now.
Now with the 3-7 record, Idaho looks ahead to what might be the biggest challenge during the Big Sky season, hosting the reigning conference champion Montana Grizzlies and recent rivals, the Northern Colorado Bears.
But with just how well the team played, Clevenger feels confident that the win has prepared this team for the tough weekend.
“I think it gives us a lot of confidence and we are ready,” Clevenger said. “We’re ready for conference… and I think you’ll see us really compete.”
Idaho will host Montana 7 p.m. Friday and Northern Colorado 1 p.m. Sunday.
Zack Kellogg can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @kellogg_zack.