MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho women's team started off the game against Montana in fine form on Sunday, then finished it dramatically for a 3-2 victory in the final match of the 2011 Governor's Cup at Guy Wicks Field.

“Today was all about team effort, and so was Friday,” Idaho head coach Pete Showler said. “It's coming together, and we're working hard. This was one of those where we had to grind it out to get a win, and we did just that.”

Sophomore Bailey Hewitt got things started in the fourth minute when she slammed in a header on junior Lauren Layton's corner kick at 3:17 to start the Vandals off on the right foot, but Montana answered. Chelsea Small rebounded her own missed header off the cross bar at 23:55, but then UM's Erin Craig responded again with her second goal of the game at 65:42.

Tied, 2-2, freshman Katie Baran took the ball deep into the UM defense, battled into the corner, saved the ball from going out the sideline, then the end line, and then popped a high-arcing cross into the mixer, where junior midfielder Megan Lopez sat waiting.

“I just had this feeling, right when the ball came out, that this is my chance,” Lopez said. “I was thinking, 'This is my time to put the ball in, I need to take care of this.'”

Take care, she did. Lopez headed it across the keeper's face to the right post, drew iron and saw the ball careen into the net for her first career game-winner at 77:35. It took the defense buckling down, a header save by sophomore defender Chelsie Breen and a diving stop by freshman keeper Marissa Fehrman in the final 10 minutes, but Idaho held Montana out of the net to clinch the victory.

“Montana made it really hard for us,” Showler said. “They shoot at every opportunity, they get you on your heels and they pressure high up the field. We dealt with it as far as not crumbling, and we showed a heck of a lot of character to come back when they'd equalized twice.”

The win brings Idaho all square and moves the team's record to 2-2-2, while Montana suffered its first loss of the season and slips to 3-1-0. It capped off a solid offensive weekend for Idaho, during which the Vandals scored seven goals in two games by five different players.

It was also extra sweet for Showler, because the win gave him 34 for his career and made him the program's all-time leader in victories. He passes Idaho inaugural head coach Larry Foster, who won 33 from 1998-2001.

“He deserves it,” Lopez said of Showler. “He puts so much time into this team, and genuinely cares about each and every one of us, so we're all really happy to get this for him.”

Small's unassisted score in the first half had historical perspective as well, because it gave her 25 for her career and sole possession of Idaho's career goal record. She jumps over Emily Nelson, who netted 24 total goals from 2000-03.

Small has now scored in three consecutive games, while Hewitt has a goal in back-to-back contests. Baran and Layton each earned their first assists of the season, while Layton bumped her career total to 12 – the second-most in school history. For a model of diversity, Idaho's women have scored 10 goals from five different players, and have seven assists from six different players.

For the game, Idaho out-shot Montana 21-17 overall, while both teams had seven total on-target attempts. Fehrman made four saves for the Vandals, while Kendra McMillen had one and Kristen Hoon had two for the Griz. Each team had five corners, and Idaho committed 11 fouls to Montana's nine.

At the conclusion of the weekend, four Vandals earned All-Tournament Team honors. Breen, Lopez, Small and freshman Lilly Archer were recognized for their weekend efforts. Craig, India Watne, who assisted both UM goals, and Lauren Costa were Montana's honorees, while Michaila Bowden, Kati Lucas and Shannon Schueren of Boise State and Amanda Ellsworth and Megan Stainbrook of Idaho State were also recognized.

Coming off back-to-back victories, Idaho next heads to Missoula, Mont., where they will face Utah Valley University on Friday and North Dakota State on Sunday at the Montana Nike Cup.

“They were two very different games,” Showler said of this weekend's matches. “We controlled the game with possession very well on Friday, and today we just had to scrap for it, but both games we came out with a win.”

Governor's Cup All-Tournament Team
Lilly Archer (Idaho)
Chelsie Breen (Idaho)
Megan Lopez (Idaho)
Chelsea Small (Idaho)
Lauren Costa (UM)
Erin Craig (UM)
India Watne (UM)
Michaila Bowden (BSU)
Kati Lucas (BSU)
Shannon Schueren (BSU)
Amanda Ellsworth (ISU)
Megan Stainbrook (ISU)