While conceding a go-ahead penalty kick to Utah Tech, the Vandals looked for an equalizer and only had three minutes to make it happen.
18 seconds after conceding the go-ahead goal, the Vandals passed the ball around until it found the feet of senior center back Rebekah Reyes.
Reyes launched a cross into the 18-yard box. Graduate forward Jadyn Hanks outjumped everyone and redirected her header to the bottom corner, sending the once-devastated P1FCU Kibbie Dome into a frenzy and tying the game at 2-2. The final seconds went off the clock, and the game ended with a 2-2 draw.
Hanks scored her second goal of the season and first since the season’s opening game.
“I had a couple of headers today,” Hanks said. “I was trying to get some shots off as well, but I always have people on me, so once I saw the ball coming over the top, no one was marking me. I was like, I’m going to get on it.”
Hanks rescued what could have been a disaster result for the Vandals. in the 87th minute, with the Trailblazers driving at their backline, junior forward Lacy Fox tried to cross the ball, but the ball went off sophomore outside back Izzy Thoma’s hand to give the Trailblazers a penalty kick.
Fox stepped up and nailed the penalty in the bottom left corner to give her a team-high fifth goal of the season and the Blazers the 2-1 lead.
A game that had many twists and turns and momentum shifts began with the Vandals in control. Idaho began the game on the front foot, established possession early on and put Utah Tech under pressure from the start.
The Trailblazers responded and began to grow into the game in the final minutes of the half, but both teams went into the half scoreless and searching for a breakthrough.
Fresh out of the locker room, the Trailblazers threw the first punch just six minutes into the second half. In the 51st minute, redshirt sophomore center back Brooke Taylor played a cross over the Vandal defense, freshman forward Lataya Brost beat everyone to the ball and headed the ball in the bottom right corner to put the Trailblazers up 1-0.
The Vandals spent the rest of the half chasing the game, and after a change in formation and a ton of set pieces, they had the chance to equalize after a Utah Tech foul.
Graduate outside back Alyssa Peters stood over the free kick and whipped the ball to the back post. Newly into the game, sophomore midfielder KV Miller got her head on the ball and directed it into the bottom corner and past the Utah Tech goalkeeper. To tie the game at 1-1.
The goal was Miller’s first career goal in the black and gold.
“Lis was actually talking about it, and I told her I was going be on that back post ready,” she said. Our opportunity came, and when it came, it was exciting.”
Head coach Jeremy Clevenger could not be more excited for KV to put the ball in the back of the net for the first time.
“What a crazy game,” Clevenger said. “KV’s been awesome, she’s a player with a smile to practice every day. I said, with the amount of set pieces we were creating, I told the staff. I said, we need a ball winner in there, and she’s that. She came in and had a huge goal for us.”
Idaho, who trailed not once but twice, fought back and showed a championship effort and the heart to come back, both traits Coach Clevenger was proud of his team for.
“It shows a lot of heart, it shows that they’re not going to give up,” Clevenger said. I was very proud of their ability to come back, that will give us confidence. Hopefully (we are) not in a situation again, but it gives us confidence that we can come back in these games.
Utah Tech, who came in expecting a battle came out, put up a great fight against the Vandals and made the game a true battle till the end.
“We knew (Idaho) was going to come in with a lot of firepower, and that’s what they did,” Head coach Lexi Browne said. “(Idaho) had the momentum overall in the first 15 minutes, and it was a game of momentum shifts. It was an exciting game for us, obviously disappointed that we couldn’t keep that lead with two minutes left. But overall, it was a good match for both sides.”
The Trailblazers’ draw ended their two-game road trip 0-1-1 and improved their overall record to 3-2-3. They will continue the road as they head to Oregon to face Portland State.
The Vandals grabbed their first draw of the season, moving their record to 5-3-1. Idaho will welcome Mountain West foe UNLV to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome next Sunday, Sept. 22, at 11 a.m. as the Vandals look to get back in the win column.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected].