BOISE, Idaho – Taking the field in an exhibition contest to unofficially start the new season, The College of Idaho played Boise State even for the first 76 minutes before a late goal led the Broncos to a 2-1 win on Wednesday at the Boas Soccer Complex.
Facing off against a BSU team that was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll, the Yotes strung together nine shots in total, including six on frame.
C of I, a team picked to finish third in its own right in the Cascade Conference preseason poll, fell behind initially in the 17th minute on a goal from distance by Michaela Justiniani that sailed just over the jumping hands of keeper
Shae Waters. Morgan Miles was credited with the assist on the play.
Waters would save the next three shots on goal that the Broncos would muster over the remainder of the half, keeping the Yotes within striking distance in a one-goal contest.
With a tie game just one quality chance away, C of I generated a pair of corner kick opportunities early in the second half.
Off the second corner in the 56th minute,
Payton Mongelli recovered a loose ball from a host of players from both sides. The junior then fired a strike from just outside the right corner of the 10-yard box that deflected off a BSU player on the way to finding the net to even things up at 1-1.
Seeing her first collegiate action in goal in the second half, junior
Hannah McFadden kept the Broncos off the board for the first 30 minutes of the period.
In the 76th minute, Kenzie MacMillan broke the draw with a goal assisted by Anna Campanella to give BSU the lead for good.
A
Megan Wilkinson shot in the 85th minute that went wide left represented the best look the rest of the way for C of I.
Wilkinson had two shots for the game, while Mongelli and
Brynna Herridge each contributed two shots on frame.
The Yotes officially start the 2021 season on Aug. 28 at Whitman.
