BOISE, Idaho - For the first time since the Governor's Cup tournament's inception in 1998, the Idaho soccer team stands the tallest at the end of the weekend, as the Vandals finished the battle for state supremacy with a 2-0 record.
Freshman Jill Flockhart powered in a shot at the 24:22 mark that wound up being the deciding factor in a 1-0 Idaho (3-2) win over Montana (1-4) on Sunday as the Vandals won their third straight match.
"We played some decent soccer, we possessed the ball well and in the 2nd half, they put us under a lot of pressure," Idaho head coach Pete Showler said. "We found a way to win and maintain the pressure - that was the most important thing."
After Flockhart scored what Showler described as "a ripping shot" past UM keeper Grace Harris, the Idaho defense buckled down and kept the Lady Griz at bay for the remaining 65 minutes. Sophomore goalkeeper Liz Boyden earned her second consecutive win with her third career shutout after saving three Montana shots on goal. Freshman Megan Lopez earned her first career assist by setting up Flockhart's game-winner.
At the conclusion of the tournament, four Vandal players were named to the all-tournament team, while senior defender Sari Morrison was tabbed MVP. Sophomore defender Desirae Hull, freshman forward Chelsea Small and freshman midfielder Cassandra San were also honored.
"I'm pleased we got four players in there, plus Sari's MVP," Showler said. "When a defender gets two goals in a game, it's reason to be happy and it puts a smile on the old coach's face.
"It was nice to have a great team performance, to have the team get a couple wins, and to have individuals recognized because of those wins."
Just like in Friday's 2-1 win over Idaho State, the Vandal offense spread the attack. On Sunday, eight different Vandals fired a shot and seven had at least one shot on goal. Morrison had three shots with two on goal, while Jenn Hull had three with one on goal.
"We're getting shots from all over the field and that's usually important," Showler said. "We controlled the game very well in the first half."
Idaho held the overall advantage in shots by a 14-9 margin, but had nine total shots on goal, compared to just three for Montana. The Griz held a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks, while Idaho was offside three times, compared to once for UM.
"We made some huge strides this weekend," Showler said. "We came from a goal down and won a game (against Idaho State on Friday) and then today, we got a goal fairly early and we maintained that."
With the win, Idaho notched the fifth three-game win streak in school history and the first such streak since the final three games of the 2001 season. If the Vandals beat Northern Colorado next Friday, they will tie the school record for consecutive wins.
While Idaho went 2-0 over the weekend against Idaho State and Montana, the true finish to the race for state bragging rights will take place on Oct. 18 at Guy Wicks Field, when the Vandals host Boise State. Showler will lead Idaho back to Boise next weekend for the Holiday Inn Classic, where the Vandals will take on Northern Colorado and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
