OGDEN, Utah—Defense was on display throughout Idaho's 1-0 triumph over Weber State on Sunday. Freshman keeper Amanda Poertner kept the slate clean for Idaho and Kayla Watanabe provided the lone tally, helping the Vandals improve to 2-0 in the Big Sky.
The two sides played to a scoreless tie in the first half. Watanabe broke through for Idaho in the 59th minute. Olivia Baggerly fired a free kick into the Weber State defensive wall. The ball reversed across the mouth of the goal and Watanabe headed it home for her fourth goal of the season.
“Weber State is a very good soccer team that does a great job possessing the ball and moving it around,” head coach Derek Pittman said. “I thought our players executed the game plan and did an excellent job of limiting Weber State's opportunities.”
Idaho (6-4-1, 2-0) fended off a season-high 22 shots from the Wildcats. Poertner made six saves on the day, none bigger than an outstretched save in the 54th minute to maintain the 0-0 tie. Sunday's win was Idaho's fourth shutout of the season. Poertner has a combined 23 saves over 392 scoreless-minutes.
“Amanda [Poertner] has done excellent job in goal, making saves when she needs to,” Pittman added. “But you have to give credit to the other 10 players that play in front of her. Our back line stood very strong today. I was really pleased with our midfield and how they did what they needed to do to close down spaces. These shutouts go on Amanda's stats, but it should be a total team stat for us.”
Kavita Battan sparked the Idaho offense in the second half, getting the team's first shot on goal in the 49th minute. Josilyn Daggs added to the Vandals' offensive push in the 52nd minute, forcing WSU's Nikki Pittman to make a save.
Weber State (4-6-1, 0-2) pushed late, totaling 14 shots in the second half. Poertner made five saves in the final 45 minutes to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard. WSU's best scoring opportunity came in the 80th minute when Chansi Crompton put one off the crossbar.
The Vandals head back home with six points under their belts to start the conference season. The Silver and Gold will welcome in Portland State on Oct. 2 to start a four-game homestand at Guy Wicks Field.
“You hope to at least get one win on the road in conference play,” Pittman explained. “For us to come home with two road-wins, against two very good opponents, is huge for us.”
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho soccer by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalsSoccer, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals Women's Soccer.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
