MOSCOW, Idaho - The University of Idaho (3-13-0, 1-7-0) women's soccer team battled Big West Conference leading UC Santa Barbara (11-5-2, 6-1-1) to the end, but the final result saw the Vandals fall by a score of 1-0 in a game played at Guy Wicks Field, Friday.
Idaho began the game playing into the wind and managed only three shots in the first half. The Vandals gave up the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute when a center from a UCSB player was miscleared by the Idaho defense and allowed for Jennifer Borcich to score what would turn out to be the game-winning goal.
After halftime, Idaho began to play with its backs to the wind and was able to use the weather to its advantage. The Vandals kept pace with the Gauchos in the second half with each team putting up eight shots. Both teams had opportunities to change the scoreboard in their favor, however neither goalie allowed another goal to be scored.
"Today we saw a great effort from our team," Vandal head coach Arby Busey said. "Our team played hard and played strong against the best team in the conference. We had plenty of opportunities we felt we could have, and probably should have, put away that could have changed the result of this game and it is unfortunate a result can measure a win or a loss, but it can't measure the heart our team poured into this game today. It was fantastic to see this sort of effort and I am really proud of these players."
The best chance for Idaho to tie the game came in the 83rd minute when a shot from Melissa Martinazzi was tipped up into the air by the UCSB goalkeeper and the ball landed near Sarah April, who turned and shot, but just missed over the top of the goal.
"We hate to sink to the level of a ?€˜moral victory,' but I feel the way we played today will help us build toward Sunday and should really help us come out in that game and be able to play the same way. We are playing another fantastic team and it will take at least this same effort if we want to have a result in that game," Busey said.
Idaho goalkeeper Lindsay Smith grabbed six saves in the game and is now just four saves from tying the school record for saves in a single season. Idaho has not scored on the USCB defense since a 3-1 Idaho win in 2000.
The Vandals will close out the season at home versus the Cal Poly Mustangs, Sunday, at 11 a.m. at Guy Wicks Field. A special Senior Day presentation will precede the game as Idaho will say "good-bye" to six seniors.
