The Idaho Vandals Women’s soccer team led 1-0 in their first conference over Sacramento State late in the second half as they looked for the needed insurance goal.
After a foul in the penalty area, the Vandals had a chance to seal the game from the penalty spot. In the 72nd minute, Graduate midfielder Hannah Alfaro Black, with the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in utter silence, stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted home the second goal, erupting the Kibbie Dome.
The Vandals closed out the final 16 minutes and defeated the Hornets 2-0, earning their first conference win. From start to finish, the Vandals dominated the game, and an early goal helped them do so.
Graduate outside back Alyssa Peters tried to cross the ball into the box; however, it was stopped by the hand of the Hornet defender, and the Vandals were awarded a free kick around 20 yards from the goal.
Peters hovered over the ball and approaches the ball, Peters split the Hornet four-woman wall and riffled a low driven strike into the bottom left corner that beat redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Izzy Palmatier to her near post, opening the scoring for the Vandals.
The free-kick goal was Peters’ first goal in 2024 and her second career goal.
“I’ve been taking those kicks, and I realized I was close enough I might as well shoot it,” Peters said. “I saw a little gap; it went through the wall; I was lucky It went in.”
After the goal, the Vandals put on a masterclass. They controlled the tempo and flow of the game and frustrated the Hornets with their tight passing and quick movements to set up goal-scoring opportunities. The Vandals outshot the Hornets 12-2 in the first half and kept the ball down on the Hornets side most of the half.
The Hornets came out of the locker room, flipped the script, and started to dictate the game. The elite defending from the team and redshirt freshman Paula Flores made a couple of key saves to help the Vandals weather the storm and get their second consecutive shutout.
The Vandals, who have struggled at times this season, have looked like the championship defense from a year ago, and Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger is proud to see the defense starting to find its rhythm.
“We’re starting to find ourselves,” Clevenger said. Knowing how to defend (with) each other is a process, and we’re starting to come together.”
A big reason for the Vandals’ struggles defending this season has been the first ten minutes of the second halves. Up until last Sunday, the Vandals had conceded a goal in the first ten minutes of almost half the games this season.
Flores credits the team’s mindset change as a catalyst for the two consecutive shutouts.
“What changed? I think our goal setting,” Flores said. “We were setting it to like the first five, and I think we were able to dominate that? So, I think focusing on those little goals gave me a goal of not allowing anything in those (first) 10 minutes, whether I have to put my face in the ball, I defend those 10 minutes sacredly.”
With the win, the Vandals moved to 7-3-1 (1-0) and continue their 4-0-1 home unbeaten streak this year, 6-0-1 if you include the last two homes games dating back to last season.
With the loss, Sacramento State falls to 2-5-3 (0-1) in conference play.
The Vandals will look to keep their win streak going as they welcome Portland State, 2- 5- 2 (0- 0- 1), on Sunday Sept 29 at 1 p.m. A game that Peters and the Vandals expect to be a battle.
“It goes both ways every year over the last couple of years; it’s been a good battle,” Peters said. It’s always a battle when we play them, and we’re excited about it.”
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at Arg-sports@uidaho.edu