With one weekend left to play in the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals are looking to finish off with a few more wins to end the regular season.
The Vandals hit the road as they take on Sacramento State and Portland State this weekend, coming off a split weekend at home.
Idaho lost to Northern Arizona University 1-2 Oct. 18, followed up by a 2-1 overtime victory Oct. 20 versus Southern Utah.
Sunday was worth a lot of celebrations, when the Vandals found their first win in almost a month. It was also a special one since it was senior night.
This hasn’t been the ideal season anyone wanted, but it’s not over just yet.
Idaho looks to gain some momentum, building from this last weekend going into the final games of the regular season.
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“It’s a season that just really hasn’t gone our way,” Idaho Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said. “We haven’t played bad, it’s not like we’re a bad team it’s just things haven’t gone our way.”
The Vandals have a conference record of 1-4-2 and an overall record of 4-11-2, currently ranking ninth in the Big Sky Conference.
Sacramento State:
Sacramento State has done an incredible job this season. The Hornets have a conference record of 3-0-4 and an overall record of 9-1-6.
In the 16 games they have played, the Hornets have been able to score 25 goals, nine of which have come from forward Kylee Kim-Bustillos.
The other 16 goals have come from eight other players and some scoring multiple of their own and in the same game.
Sacramento State currently sits fourth in the Big Sky conference and has officially clinched a spot in the playoffs.
Portland State:
The Vikings have a losing streak of three games currently as they prepare to take on the Vandals Sunday.
They have an overall record of 4-12-0 but a 3-4-0 record for conference. The Vikings currently sit sixth in conference standings and will have to be perfect if they want to play in the playoffs.
Only the top six in the Big Sky will be able to compete further for a championship.
The Vandals are going to have to keep an eye on the freshman midfielder Sienna Higinbotham, who has five goals so far in 2019. Another Viking who has racked up four goals this season is junior forward Rilee Castilla.
The Vandals will have a tough battle ahead of them when they go to Sacramento. But if they put up a tough fight then there’s a possibility of the Vandals escaping with a tie.
When it comes to Portland State, the Vikings have a lot riding on the line and one mistake could end their playoff chances.
The Vandals will need to capitalize on any error from the Vikings to try to strike early against Portland State.
After this season comes to an end, the Vandals will be looking forward to regrouping and having a new mindset as they will begin to think about the 2020 season.
“Regardless of how this season finishes out, I know we’ll be a better team next year,” Clevenger said.
The Vandals will play at Sacramento State 3 p.m. Friday and at Portland State 1 p.m. Sunday.
Elizabeth Carbajal can be reached at [email protected]