MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandals struck first and controlled the game early on, but a second-half score and an early overtime breakaway gave Washington State a 2-1 win in the women's soccer border rivalry at Guy Wicks Field on Sunday.
“We lost to a very good team, and for us to play as well as did against a team of that quality, I'm very proud of the girls,” Idaho head coach Pete Showler said. “They made it so difficult for us, but I thought we persevered, stuck to our game plan and played very well, and that's what makes it more disappointing.”
Idaho (3-4-2) put the Cougars in an early deficit when junior Jill Flockhart sent in a crossing pass, junior Megan Lopez flicked it on outside to an uncovered Katie Baran, who put it just inside the right post at 3:00.
The assist was Flockhart's team-leading third of the year, while the score was the second in as many matches for Baran, a freshman from Nine Mile Falls, Wash.
The Vandals kept Washington State (6-2-1) on the defensive for much of the first half, but the Cougars blasted out of the gates in the second, with two on-target shots and two corners in the first three minutes of the period.
WSU freshman Beau Bremer found an opening in the Vandal defense and put in an equalizing goal at 48:57, and the Cougars kept up the pressure.
Vandal goalkeeper Caroline Towles made her first career start and first overall appearance in the match and made eight saves, six of which came after the half.
“I basically went out there very hyped up and had to keep myself calm through the game,” Towles said of her first career action. “We stayed composed defensively and that kept me confident, and then I think they were confident in me because of it.”
A few highlight-reel saves by Towles and a few close scoring attempts by each side was all either team could muster in the remainder of regulation. Bremer caught the Vandals in a counter-attack early on in the overtime period and snuck another quick shot low and to the right to end it at 94:12.
Showler said that kind of loss always stings, but that he's proud of the way his team battled.
“Our soccer was good, and the girls should be proud of how they played,” Showler said. “Obviously, we're very disappointed in the result – it's never nice to lose in overtime, but they've got to hold their heads high, keep their chins up and know that we can compete with teams like that.”
WSU outshot Idaho, 24-9 overall and 11-4 in on-target attempts. The Cougars earned nine corners to none for Idaho. Towles made nine saves for Idaho, while WSU keeper Gurveen Clair made three. Fouls were an even 8-8, with WSU's Nicole Setterlund earning the game's only yellow card in the second half.
The Cougars were awarded a penalty kick midway through the second half after a foul in the Idaho box, but Micaela Castain's attempt went wide right.
The game was played in front of the team's largest crowd in two years, as 502 fans turned out. It was the highest-attended home match for Idaho since 541 fans showed for the team's 3-1 win over Utah Valley on Aug. 30, 2009.
“We looked over and there were wall-to-wall fans, and I can't thank them enough for that,” Showler said. “They were very vocal, very supportive. They did a tremendous job and the girls loved playing in front of a crowd like that.”
It gets no easier for the Vandals, because they'll hit the road immediately to play a night game at BYU, which enters the week at 4-3-2 after pushing national No. 2 Oklahoma State to overtime and falling 2-0 at Oklahoma over the weekend.
Tuesday's game will kick off at 6 p.m. (PDT) and will be the program's first nationally-televised match. It will be broadcast live on BYUtv.
“We'll rehab and rejuvenate tomorrow, then we'll be raring to go under the lights in front of a large, vociferous crowd at BYU,” Showler said.
