MOSCOW, Idaho – It takes a team.  29 athletes and three coaches that came together as one.  For the 2016 Big Sky Regular Season Champion Idaho Vandals, it was all about the team.
 
In conference play, the Vandals were leagues ahead of the competition statistically.  Idaho had the top scoring offense for the second straight season with 28 goals, five more than the historic 2015 season.  Idaho also had the best defense for the second consecutive season, allowing just nine goals in 10 matches.
 
Seven Vandals earned all-conference accolades, led by senior Kavita Battan as the lone first-team representative.  Battan finished third on the team with five goals and fourth with four assists.
 
Battan's name is littered throughout the Idaho record book.  She completed her career with the Silver and Gold as the fourth leading scorer in program history with 20 goals.  Her 12 assists are good enough for ninth in team history, while her 119 shots are eighth best.  Battan also had a flair for the dramatics, as she scored six game-winning goals in her career, the second highest total in team history.
 
Five Vandals were named to the second team, in Elexis Schlossarek, Clara Gomez, Josilyn Daggs, Kelly Dopke and Emma Eddy.  Olivia Baggerly earned Honorable Mention accolades.
 
Schlossarek finished second in the Big Sky with 17 points in conference play.  Her six goals were the third most, while her five assists were tied for second most.  Much like Battan, Schlossarek's name can also be seen among the best in every statistical category.  She ends her career in fifth in goals (15), second in assists (18), fifth in shots (132), fifth in points (48) and tied for ninth with three game-winning goals.  Schlossarek was also named to the Big Sky All-Tournament team.
 
Gomez spent just two seasons with the Vandals but leaves Idaho with the second most assists in program history (18).  Gomez set an Idaho and Big Sky record with 13 assists in 2015 and followed that up with five goals and five assists in 2016.
 
Daggs and Dopke led the Vandal defense that posted the second best goals against average in team history and allowed the fewest shots ever.  Daggs also got into the action on the offensive end, scoring once and adding five assists.  Daggs still has one year remaining with the Vandals and is currently in a tie for 10^th in program history with 11 assists.
 
Emma Eddy took some time to develop during her freshman campaign, but by the end of the season was one of Idaho's top performers on the offensive end.  She saw the field for 20 minutes of action in non-conference play before coming on for some fresh legs midway through the first half at Montana, with Idaho already up 2-0.  Then the magic happened.
 
Eddy scored eight goals in the Big Sky, the second most in the league and the most ever by a Vandal in conference play.  She also netted a hat trick at Sacramento State, the first by a Vandal since 2000.
 
The Vandals lose nine seniors to graduation, all of whom were incredibly important in the transition to championship-level soccer.
 
Goalkeeper Torell Stewart returned as the starter for 2016 after serving as the reserve behind Goalkeeper of the Year Amanda Poertner in 2015.  The job was anything but a guarantee for Stewart, however, with transfer keeper Faith Sugerman joining the squad from the University of Southern California in the summer.  The battles were fierce throughout train camp and into the season, with both athletes excelling in the competitive environment.
 
Stewart was tremendous in net all year and moved up the Idaho record books in a number of categories.  Her five shutouts on the season were the fourth most in program history, while her 1.00 goals against average was also fourth best.  In her career, Stewart finished with the fourth most saves in program history (235) and the fourth best goals against average (1.91).
 
Defensively, Amanda Pease, Madison Moore and Alyssa Lloyd were integral to the success of the back line.  Idaho's defense improved dramatically over their tenures, with the Vandals posting the best goals against average in Big Sky play over each of the last two years.
 
Despite being known for their defensive abilities, all three also made impacts on the offensive end.  Always a threat inside the box, Lloyd scored seven goals in 2015 to earn all-conference accolades.  Amanda Pease and Moore were active on Idaho set pieces, with Pease providing the long services and Moore patrolling the top of the box to keep possessions alive.  Each also had one goal in 2016.
 
Alyssa Pease played sparingly in 2016, but put together an excellent career with the Vandals.  In her four years with Idaho, she made 26 starts, scored five goals and added a pair of assists. 
 
Aside from Dopke and Eddy, a number of other underclassmen were impactful last season and will be looking to continue to grow in 2017.  Check back on Friday for the final segment of The Repeat, featuring the underclassmen.
 
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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.