The 2023-2024 regular season for the Idaho Vandals women’s soccer ended in a familiar spot.
The Vandals finished another strong season 10-4-2, 5-2-1 in conference and all the hard work ended with the Vandals getting the #2 overall seed at the Big Sky tournament that begins this weekend.
The Vandals have had an up and down season but finished on a major high defeating Northern Arizona 1-0 last Sunday for their first victory over NAU since 2021, where the Vandals defeated the Lumberjacks 3-1. With the reward of the first-round bye, the Vandals will be able to sit back and watch the first-round matchups Thursday in Flagstaff before suiting up on Friday against the winner of #3 seed Portland State and #6 seed Idaho State.
Idaho State defeated the Vikings 3-2 and handed them a crucial conference loss. The Vandals split with the two teams falling in a 2-1 heartbreaker to Portland State, and easily defeating Idaho State 4-0. If the Vandals win Friday, they will play for their second straight conference tournament championship and may get a potential rematch with #1 seed Montana in the final.
The Griz, behind two goals from junior forward Delaney Lou Schorr, defeated the Vandals 2-0 in the Vandals’ only home conference loss of the season. Montana ended the year with an impressive 13-2-3 overall record and an even more impressive 7-0-1 conference record, winning their last seven games and earning the Big Sky regular championship and the right to host the conference tournament in 2024.
Idaho comes into the tournament scoring 27 goals, five more goals than last season. Senior forward Jadyn Hanks had five goals and two assists for the season. Senior midfielder Hannah Alfaro racked up a career high of four goals and two assists, scoring her first ever brace against California State Northridge, helping the Vandals defeat CSUN 5-1.
No one on the Vandals, however, carved up more assists than senior outside back Alyssa Peters with a career high eight assists. Peters also added her first career goal to go along with her career high in assists.
Coming off the best season in Vandal history for sophomore Kira Witte, she followed her outstanding freshman season with another fantastic sophomore season. Witte earned all 16 starts.
In those 16 starts, ten were wins. Witte saved 58 shots and earned six shutouts.
Witte has now, in her young Vandals career, 19 shutouts in 34 appearances. The Vandals will be relying on Witte in some of the biggest games of their season.
Idaho will look to use their experience and suffocating defense to hopefully bring home the Big Sky championship to Moscow. Idaho will kick off the Big Sky semifinal Friday Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.
If the Vandals win Friday, they will play the championship Sunday Nov. 5 at noon.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on X @JaydenBarfuss10