MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Monique Vega poked a shot underneath the diving Brittany Houghton in the 79th minute, lifting host Linfield College to a 2-1 victory over the College of Idaho at Maxwell Field.
Locked in a back and forth matchup, Houghton made a save on a shot by Yasmeen Ramos, but Vega was in the right place at the right time, collecting the rebound and flicking the ball into the net – just under the Yotes (4-1) net minder.
The Wildcats (2-0) sloshed through a wet pitch in the opening 45 minutes, getting on the board in the 37th minute. Rachael Gernhart drove a shot from the top of the 18 that was redirected into the goal by a C of I defender.
The Coyotes drew even in the 58th minute as leading scorer Jamiece Yizar made a great 1-on-1 run, driving home a goal past 'Cats keeper Sarah Bailey. Unfortunately, C of I did not have another shot on frame the rest of the afternoon.
Linfield held a commanding 13-5 edge in total shots and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks. Houghton kept the Yotes in the match, making seven saves.
The Lady Yotes open up Cascade Conference play this week, hosting Southern Oregon on Friday and Oregon Tech on Sunday.
