BOISE - Senior team captain Sari Morrison headed in the game-winner and freshman Chelsea Small scored a pair of unassisted goals as Idaho rebounded on Sunday with a solid team effort in a 3-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the Holiday Inn Classic on Sunday at Boise, Idaho.
The Vandals held a distinct advantage on offense, as Idaho (4-3) pelted the UAPB (2-3-2) keepers all afternoon to the tune of 29 shots, including 14 on goal, while allowing just a single shot on a breakaway midway through the second half.
Idaho head coach Pete Showler said that the team brought "good energy" to Sunday's game after its 1-0 loss on Friday to Northern Colorado.
"We won 3-0 and kept a clean sheet, which is fantastic, but I think we could have had three or four more goals," Showler said. "I'm never satisfied, as we can always strive to be better."
Idaho's early aggressive play paid dividends. Layton's corner kick at the 16:52 mark perfectly found Morrison's head and gave UAPB keeper Chelsea Klein no chance. Small added some insurance just 7 minutes later when she dribbled into the Pine Bluff zone, juked her defender, and fired a shot to the far post from 17 yards out. Minutes later, she made it a trifecta for the Vandal women, as she again juked a defender and beat the keeper to put Idaho up 3-0 at the 39:18 mark.
Idaho's defense was top-notch on Sunday, as the back line limited the Lions to just one shot and neutralized most UAPB possessions before they even began. Idaho, on the other hand, moved the ball effectively and took the ball deep into the Pine Bluff zone repeatedly.
"We worked together really well today and did a good job of getting numbers in the box," Small, who tallied her first career multi-goal game on 11 shots, said.
Showler was also happy with his team's work on the offense, but at the same time, he said he wanted to see a little more consistency in connecting on the crossing passes.
"I think we did a good job of getting in behind them, getting numbers in the box and getting some width," Showler said. "We got good numbers in the box sometimes today, and now the challenge is for us to get a foot on the end of the cross or the shot all the time."
For the game, Idaho outshot UAPB by a 29-1 margin, including 14-1 on shots on goal. The Vandals earned nine corner kicks, including six in the first half, while Pine Bluff had just two. Idaho committed 10 fouls, while UAPB had nine, including one yellow card.
Idaho will return to the Palouse next weekend after playing back-to-back tournaments in Boise. The Vandals will host Eastern Washington on Friday at Guy Wicks Field before making a quick trip up to Spokane, Wash., to face Gonzaga on Sunday.
