MOSCOW, Idaho (October 22, 2023) – In a highly defensive match from start to finish, the Jacks (9-5-3, 4-3-1 Big Sky) fell to the Idaho Vandals 1-0 after an 88
th minute goal from the Vandals.
To kick things off at the Kibbie Dome,
Avery Ott called Idaho keeper Kira Witte to make the first save of the game within the first 45 seconds as Ott followed her game-winning performance on Friday with a quick shot to the right corner of the net.
With just under 30 minutes remaining in the first half, the Vandals were awarded their first corner kick of the game. Alyssa Peters took the kick from the right side, as Idaho looked for an opportunity Margo Schoesler found a path, sending the shot on the ground to the left corner as
Trinity Corcoran picked up her second save of the day.
Dai Williams earned NAU's first corner kick opportunity, intercepting the ball from one of Idaho's defenders. While looking for a shot up the right side, a Vandal defender took the deflection to give the Jacks the corner,
Maddie Shafer sent the ball in while
Jaylin Borden got a head on it but ultimately Idaho was able to clear.
The first 45 minutes saw an even box score as both teams put six shots up, while the Vandals marked three on frame compared to NAU's two on goal. The Lumberjacks picked up three corner kicks in the first half, holding Idaho to one.
Five minutes into the second half of play, the Vandals were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty arch. Hannah Alfaro took the call for the kick while her shot was quickly blocked by NAU's wall of defenders and cleared back down the field.
Not much farther out on the other side of the field, the Lumberjacks were awarded a free kick just five minutes later as
Josie Novak got the nod. Novak sent the kick straight on goal as Witte quickly scooped it up for her third save of the match.
With just over twenty minutes remaining, the Vandals took their biggest opportunity of the game after issued a corner kick on the right side. Naomi Alvarez got a head on the initial kick as Corcoran was off her goal line in some heavy traffic and
Allie Larsen stepped up for the header to clear the ball and make the save.
With three fouls called on the Lumberjacks in the final ten minutes, NAU struggled to put a sequence together without any momentum leaning on their side. The Vandals were awarded a corner kick in the 88
th minute as Peters sent in the kick and connected with Jayd Sprague for her fourth goal of the season to lift Idaho to a 1-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks will now take enter the Big Sky Conference tournament as the No. 4 seed and will take on No. 5 Sacramento State in the first round on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. MST at Lumberjack Stadium. To stay up to date with NAU Soccer, follow the Jacks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
