Elicker’s Impact: How a Defender Shapes the Game for UI Soccer

As the final whistle blew after winning the Big Sky championship, junior center back Cassidy Elicker exploded off the bench, hugged her teammates and celebrated their achievements. For Elicker, that moment was full of emotion.  

“There was so much excitement and relief for everyone,” she said. “We were counting down, getting ready to run on the field. We were so excited. When the whistle blew, there was so much relief that we had done it, and to beat NAU after we lost to them last year, it was the cherry on top.”  

Before Elicker was an outstanding center back for the University of Idaho, she was just a kid dreaming of playing college soccer. 

Elicker grew up in Tukwila, Washington, a town just smaller than Moscow. From the earliest stages of her life, she had a ball at her feet.  

“I played soccer from a very young age. My mom coached my sister and me when we were 3 or 4, and I’ve played ever since,” she said.  

Elicker, like most kids, tried out many sports when she was growing up but ultimately decided that soccer was the sport for her.  

“It was toward middle school, once club soccer got pretty serious. And then definitely going into high school, I only played soccer from that point forward,” she said. Elicker played soccer at Kennedy Catholic High School, where she excelled. In her four-year high school career, Elicker collected First Team All-Area, National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Player of the Year, First Team All-NPSL, two-time Second Team All-NPSL and NPSL League Champions in 2017 and 2018.  

After a tremendous high school career, Elicker had her eyes set on playing college soccer. One visit to Moscow made her future clear.  

“I came on a visit to Idaho, and I liked the town itself. I loved the campus and the school, and just talking with Jeremy and our academic advisor at the time seemed like a great fit for me,” she said. “Also, the girls that I met on the team were all super nice and welcoming. So, I knew it was a great fit, and I would make friends easily here.” 

After sitting behind two experienced center backs her freshman year, Elicker stepped into the starting role and has not looked back. In Elicker’s sophomore season, she started all 18 games for the Vandals, logged 1,584 minutes and helped lead the Vandals to 13 shutouts and a second-place finish in the Big Sky after a penalty kick loss to Northern Arizona in the championship.  

Elicker followed up her great sophomore season with another great season. Last fall, Elicker started 17 of the Vandals’ 19 games, only missing the Big Sky tournament with an injury. Elicker logged 1,530 minutes and was the head of an electric defense that led the Vandals to a Big Sky championship and an NCAA tournament berth.  

Elicker was injured in the last minutes of the Vandals’ senior night win over NAU. She was out for the Big Sky semi-final and the final. Elicker reflected on missing those two games.  

“So that was difficult for me because I’d been playing all season, and everyone on the team works so hard as I do,” she said. “At the end of the day, I was just happy I got to cheer on my team, be there and support them even if I couldn’t play.” 

After her injury, Elicker was cleared to return for their first-round game against Gonzaga and felt anxious going into the tournament.  

“It was a lot of nerves. I think everyone was very excited that we made it that far, but I was very nervous going into it because of missing those games,” she said. “I was hoping I could get back in there and get a good tackle or something to get my groove going again.”  

The Vandals ended the season with a 1-0 loss to Gonzaga, holding the Bulldogs to one goal in a hostile environment on the back line. Elicker was a big part of that. 

The Vandals’ back line has been one of the best in the Big Sky and is in the top 100 nationally. With her high soccer IQ and great awareness, Elicker is at the heart of the Vandals’ defense that does not get the credit it deserves.  

A good backline does not happen overnight. However, it takes trust and commitment for the backline to have a great relationship with each other.  

“Just knowing that we can trust each other was the biggest thing because we’re all outstanding individual players. Learning how to play together and knowing that you can always trust the people who are beside you is very important, and that’s what led to our success,” Elicker said. 

Catch Elicker and the Vandals as they continue their spring season. The Vandals will be back at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome next Saturday, April 13, at 1 p.m. against Central Washington. 

Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected]