The Idaho Vandals women’s soccer team is one of many teams who lost the chance to play in the fall after the Big Sky Conference (BSC) came to a decision Thursday to push all fall sports to the spring.
Members of the team returned to Moscow this summer to begin training on their own. All members of the team received a COVID-19 test and quarantined so they would be able to start working out.
Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said the team will begin official practices once the school semester starts. Practices will follow the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) regulations for safety and there will be social distancing. Team meetings will be held over Zoom.
The Vandals brought in eight new freshmen into their program with eight starters returning.
“It’s important to build chemistry with the team as we go into the season,” Clevenger said. “I believe that we have a great team, and the upperclassmen will help guide the freshmen as we move into our season.”
Recruitment proved to be a challenge for all college sports teams as coaches were unable to visit athletes in person due to COVID-19 restrictions. Clevenger and his staff were able to adjust to the difficult situation.
“My staff did a great job with contacting and speaking to recruits, and I’m really proud of the work they did,” Clevenger said. “We’ve got a great group of freshmen to build our team with.”
The Vandals finished last season with a 5-12-2 (2-5-2 BSC) record and placed seventh in the BSC standings. In the 2020 BSC Preseason Coaches’ poll, the Vandals were picked to finish seventh. The last time this occurred was in 2018 and the Vandals ended with a record of 6-1-2 finishing second in the BSC.
COVID-19 continues to cause friction in sports, preventing many college athletes from competing. The Vandals women’s soccer program remains confident and determined.
“They have really impressed me with how they have handled the current situation,” Clevenger said. “We were ready to play in the fall and we will be ready to play in the spring.”
Armin Mesinovic can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @arminmesinovic