BANQUET GALLERY | ALUMNI GAME GALLERY
MOSCOW, Idaho – Another spring has come and gone for Idaho soccer, with the squad hosting its end-of-year festivities over the weekend.
The team got together on Friday night to look back on the 2017 season and send off senior
Olivia Baggerly in style. Head coach
Derek Pittman and his staff also gave out the team awards, as voted on by the student-athletes.
Makayla Presgrave earned the Newcomer of the Year Award. Presgrave played every minute for the Vandals in 2017, posting a 71.3% save percentage and picking up four shutouts on the year.
Bridget Daley, another junior transfer for the Vandals, earned Offensive Player of the Year recognition. Daley led the team with six goals, four assists and 16 points on the year, including a hat trick performance in Idaho's come-from-behind win at Weber State.
Morgan Crosby was recognized as the winner of the Heart and Hustle Award. The award goes to the student-athlete that fully exemplifies what it means to be a Vandal. Crosby appeared in all 19 games, starting 16, and finished tied for the team lead with four assists.
Kelly Dopke picked up both the Defensive Player of the Year and Team MVP awards. Dopke was one of four Vandals to start every game in 2017, leading the Idaho back line. She also continues to become a greater factor on the offensive end, as she finished third on the team with four goals on the year, none bigger than her game-tying goal against Boise State with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
Baggerly leaves the Vandals, but will not be forgotten. She finishes her career in fifth in program history with 18 goals, fourth with 17 assists and fourth with 53 points. Her class won 36 games, the second most ever at Idaho.
Back to soccer, the team took the field on Saturday against North Idaho. The Vandals moved the ball well all game and were able to pick apart the Cardinal defense to take the 4-0 win. With the final real game of the spring season over, Pittman was able to look back on how the team developed.
"It was really positive," said Pittman. "I think we're in a place as a program where we're going through a little bit of some growing pains. We have moments where we're focusing on development and it's not going to be super smooth, so we have to be patient. I thought there were a lot of really positive steps this spring in how our team is maturing, both on the field and off the field. The spring gave us the opportunity to take some steps forward heading into the fall."
The team wrapped up the spring by taking on the alumni squad on Sunday. Former student-athletes from the last 20 years of Vandal soccer made their way back to the Kibbie Dome for a fun-filled exhibition.
"It was a blast. We want to continue growing our relationship with our alums, so it was nice to have the 15 or 16 alums back that were able to make it and participate in the game. I know our players enjoyed it," Pittman said.
"Looking into next year we want to do everything we can to celebrate those alums as we approach the 20
th anniversary of the program. Any opportunity to showcase all the individuals that were fortunate enough to slip on the Vandal jersey and represent our University, because they are very much a part of the success that we've had recently. We couldn't have done it without them. To be able to see those alums from various years come back and intermix with each other and share stories, it's always great and it makes it a lot of fun as a coaching staff to know they still look back on our program with fond memories. It was a lot of fun to play them. They may have been a little exhausted, but it was a lot of fun to see them enjoying themselves and playing in the Kibbie Dome like our current players get to do on a regular basis."
Mark your calendars, the 20
th anniversary of Idaho soccer is coming up in just a few short months.
"We're really excited about the 2018 season because of the schedule that we have but also the opportunity to celebrate the 20
th anniversary of our program," said Pittman. "We've targeted the September 9 game to be able to draw back as many alums as possible and be able to recognize them at halftime. With a football game on the 8
th and the Hall of Fame banquet on the 7
th, we hope to make it a big weekend for all of our alums. We hope everybody will put that on their calendars and be a part of the celebration."
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.
