MOSCOW, Idaho - The Vandal women's soccer team won their home opener on Thursday night, 2-1 against IU Indy. Tonight's match featured goals from Hannah Alfaro-Black and Margo Schoesler. Idaho improved to 3-2 on the season and 1-0 at home.
Alfaro-Black tallied her first goal of the season with a powerful header to the back post in the sixth minute. The scoring drive started with Karli Yoshida-Williams in the middle of the Vandal offense. Yoshida-Williams took on a few players and then dished a pass out wide to Kate Sprink on the right flank. Sprink wound up the cross and sent the ball high into the back of the Jaguars' six-yard box. Alfaro-Black was there and connected with her head, sending the shot screaming into the far corner. The goal marked Alfaro-Black's eighth career goal and Sprink's team-leading third assist on the season.
Schoesler scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 24th minute of the game with an assist from Sienna Gonzales. At the forward position, Gonzales received a ball into space and dribbled around the Jaguars' defense for 20 yards. Gonzales cut to the inside and found Schoesler with a square ball just outside the 18-yard box. Schoelser stepped up and one-touch blasted it to the far corner of the goal, much like her other goals so far this season. She has scored one goal in three consecutive matches and leads the team with six points on the season.
IU Indy decided to make things interesting with a goal off a direct free-kick in the 49th minute. Call it luck or insane skill, IU Indy's No. 7 stepped up to the ball and sent a low-driven shot into the box where both teams failed to make contact and eventually found its way into the far side of the net past Idaho keeper, Paula Flores. The Vandals responded and did not allow IU Indy to find the equalizer that they were so desperately searching for and held on for the 2-1 win.
Idaho was a force on the offense, firing off 22 shots in the 90-minute contest with nine on goal while the Jaguars had only 12 total with seven on goal. Flores was forced to make six saves while the IU Indy keeper made seven on the night.Â
The Vandals get to rest for the remainder of the weekend but will be back in action next Thursday at 6Â pm hosting UC San Diego in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
