MISSOULA, Mont. – It went the way everyone thought it would for the first 87 minutes, a defensive battle from two of the best goalkeepers in Big Sky Conference history, but in the 88th a Montana foul in the box gave Idaho a penalty kick, which Margo Schoesler buried past Montana's Camellia Xu to give the Vandals a 1-0 road win Friday afternoon in Missoula.
 
The game was a clinic in defensive play. While both goalkeepers kept clean sheets for most of the game, their back lines kept the pressure off.
 
The Grizzlies mustered just two shots on goal during the game and Idaho just three before the game-winning PK.
 
Montana did outshoot the Vandals 9-3 in the first half and notched tallied eight corner kicks for the game to just two for Idaho, but despite the pressure, the Grizzlies could not get a ball past goalkeeper Kira Witte.
 
In the second half, Idaho was the team that increased the pressure and pushed the ball most of the final 45 minutes. After setting up solid chances for much of the second half, Idaho finally broke through with just over two minutes remaining.
 
Alyssa Peter sent a cross into the center of the box, but it was headed away by a Montana player. Karli Yoshida-Willams tracked the ball as it went toward the endline on the opposite side of the box, but a Montana played tackled her from behind, swiping her legs out from under her. The center judge wasted little time calling for the PK. Schoesler sent the ball top shelf, right over Xu's hands and into the net for the game-winner.
 
Montana failed to get a shot off over the final 145 seconds and the Vandals closed out the win.
 
Witte has now extended her shutout streak to a Big Sky record nine games and now sits alone atop the Idaho single-season shutout record with 10 on the year. She is one shutout away from tying the Big Sky record for shutouts in a season.
 
The Vandals are now 8-1-2 overall and continue to sit atop the Big Sky standings with a 3-0 league mark.
 
UP NEXT
Idaho takes on Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Colorado Sunday at 11 a.m. P.T. in Greeley Colorado. The Bears started the season 4-0-2, but have lost six straight, including a pair of road losses to start Big Sky play.