CALDWELL, Idaho – True freshman
Jaden Carson made the most of his collegiate debut, scoring six goals – including four-straight tallies in the second half, as the College of Idaho opened the 2017 season with a convincing 13-9 win over Gonzaga University at Simplot Stadium.
The Coyotes (1-0) never trailed in the victory – using a big second quarter surge in topping the defending PNCLL Division II North Division champs and current No. 27 ranked team in the MCLA Division II national poll. It was their sixth-straight season-opening win, dating back to the 2012 season.
Two goals from
Nich Guzzetti inside the opening 10 minutes staked C of I to a 2-0 lead, but the Bulldogs (3-2) rallied behind Ben Anderson, with his goal with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter cut the margin to 4-3. The Yotes responded in a big way, as Carson scored an unassisted goal two minutes later, with
Dillon Green finding two-sport athlete
Cory Brady for a goal with two minutes left in the half. Following a GU penalty,
Tyler Sanchez scored on the man advantage and nine seconds later, Green found the net to give C of I an 8-3 lead at the break.
Gonzaga tried to rally in the second half, cutting the margin to three goals on three occasions – but each time, Carson was the answer – scoring the Yotes first four goals of the second half. Sanchez capped the scoring inside the final two minutes to put the game away.
V.J. Dahm had 14 saves for the Coyotes, while Green and Guzzetti each recovered 10 ground balls.
The Coyotes hit the road next weekend with road matches at Central Washington and Puget Sound.
