SENIOR GALLERY
MOSCOW, Idaho – The 2017 season came to a close on Friday night, with Idaho taking down regular season champions Eastern Washington, 2-1, in the Kibbie Dome.
"Extremely proud of our players, against a very good Eastern Washington team," said head coach
Derek Pittman. "Obviously congrats to Eastern Washington on being the regular season champs and ultimately we wish them the best in the tournament.
"We played tonight like we have been asking our players to play all year. We played with a fight, a bite, and an overall competitiveness and spirit that we expect them to have each and every game. I'm just so proud to be able to send Liv out, and get our eighth win of the season, to send her out with a victory in the Kibbie Dome was huge. And for her to be able to get a goal, I'm just very excited."
The win pushed Idaho to 13 points on the year, good enough to tie for fifth in the Big Sky standings. However, due to tiebreakers, the Vandals narrowly missed out on the postseason as the number seven seed.
"Obviously it's bitter sweet," said Pittman. "We're on the outside looking in, but it's going to fuel us and make us better."
Idaho got the scoring started in the 11
th minute, with the star of the night,
Olivia Baggerly, scoring her 18
th career goal.
Eastern Washington leveled the score in the 34
th minute. Allison Raniere picked the ball up after a short clearance in the middle of the field and sent in a long ball over the top of the Vandal defense. Saige Lyons ran onto the end of it, finishing for her fourth goal of the season.
Idaho wasted no time regaining the lead in the second half, scoring in typical Vandal fashion on a corner kick.
Megan Goo elected to send in a low ball across the box, where
Anna Rose Wiencek came sliding in to bury her first career goal.
The Vandals dug in the rest of the way, with Idaho goalkeeper
Makayla Presgrave finishing with three saves. As is always the case when the Vandals meet the Eagles, the game got physical, with 40 total fouls on the night. The win was Idaho's first over Eastern Washington since 2014, and ended EWU's unbeaten Big Sky season.
The game was Baggerly's final with the Vandals, ending an historic run with the team. She was a part of 36 wins in her four-year career, the second most wins in a four-year stretch in program history. Baggerly finished her career in the top-five in every statistical category.
"When Liv came in, we knew the talent that she possessed," Pittman said. "She's super athletic, obviously very fast and strike quality balls and be a very, very good soccer player. For her to be able to score the goals that she had over her career, and even some of the huge assists that she had, it's just a testament to her work ethic, her mentality and how much she has given of herself to this program to go out in the record books the way she has. Very proud of her, we're definitely going to miss her, but thankful we had the opportunity to coach her these last four years."
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.
