CHENEY, Wash. ? With all the foul luck the Idaho women's soccer team had last weekend, one might figure that the Vandals were due for positive swing, but bad bounces and near-misses highlighted Idaho's 1-0 loss to Eastern Washington on Friday.
Even though Idaho (1-7-1) outshot the Eagles (2-4-2) 19-14, had a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal, a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks and dominated the possession for most of the game, it was miscues and close calls that defined the outcome.
“Maybe I need to go out and get everyone a rabbit's foot, a four-leaf clover and some magic dust to put on those goal posts,” Idaho coach Pete Showler said. “Maybe we'll have to do a special good-luck ritual dance before our games.”
Just 15 minutes into the game, Idaho's top active goal-scorer Jenn Hull dribbled through the EWU defense and fired off a perfect diagonal shot right past the keeper to the far corner?and then it bounced off the post. Ashley Perez had a point blank ricochet shot slip through EWU keeper Jessica Blessard's legs just in front of the goal?but somehow, the ball stopped short of the line.
Late in the second with the Vandals down 1-0, Hull sent a nice pass ahead to senior Nicole McAllister who cruised past her defender and fired a perfect high shot that breezed just over Blessard's fingertips?and bounced off the crossbar.
Even Eastern Washington's lone goal of the game came on an unlucky bounce. After a long EWU pass, Idaho defender Desirae Hull, goalkeeper Liz Boyden and EWU forward Lauryn Koelzer all collided trying to clear the ball. Hull and Boyden ended up on the turf and Koelzer somehow managed to stay on her feet with the ball and an open net.
“The girls were in front of a hostile crowd today and they played against a team that doesn't give you anything and we outplayed them,” Showler said. “I'm proud of them in that respect, but we just have to figure out how we're going to win. We can't play that well and not win games.”
The Vandals started off the first half well in control and led EWU by a 13-6 margin in shots and a 5-1 margin in corner kicks. Any time the Eagles managed to get the ball into the offensive zone, the Vandals cleared it quickly and got back on offense.
Showler said that the team is playing its best soccer since he arrived, but that it's disappointing that they haven't been getting the results to show for it.
“We are playing very, very well right now,” Showler said. “We out-possessed a team, we had more shots than they had, their keepers had to make more saves, but at the end of the day we didn't get a win and that's what matters. We can play well, but we have to win.”
It won't get any easier for Idaho, as Washington State is up next. The Cougars have seen time in the top-25 this season and have been receiving votes throughout the season. WSU is coming off back-to-back home wins over Seattle and Gonzaga. The game kicks off a 1 p.m. (PST) at Pullman, Wash.
