Prescott, Ariz. – The College of Idaho men's soccer team opened their 2024 campaign with a gritty 2-2 draw against Embry-Riddle (AZ) in a closely contested match at Varsity Field on Friday afternoon. The Yotes showed resilience, coming back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a point on the road.
The match started with Embry-Riddle seizing control in the first half. The home side's Emanuele Bossi opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing off a well-executed pass from Aleksandar Mihajlovi. Just six minutes later, Mihajlovi doubled the Eagles' lead, this time with a goal of his own, assisted by Bossi. With a 2-0 advantage, Embry-Riddle looked poised to take full control of the game.
However, the Yotes began to claw their way back into the contest. Senior forward Pol Romero made his presence felt in the 36th minute, capitalizing on a loose ball in the box to score unassisted and pull College of Idaho within one before halftime.
The second half saw the Yotes ramp up the pressure. They outshot Embry-Riddle 8-2 in the final 45 minutes, showing determination to find the equalizer. The breakthrough finally came in the 75th minute when freshman defender Jake Anderson found the back of the net with a header off a corner kick, assisted by Krew Christensen and Hugo Guevara. Anderson's first collegiate goal brought the match level at 2-2 and set the stage for an intense final quarter-hour.
Both teams had opportunities to snatch a late winner, but solid goalkeeping from College of Idaho's Ben Anderson and Embry-Riddle's Elias Ammon kept the scoreline intact. Anderson, made four saves, including three crucial stops in the first half to prevent the Eagles from extending their lead further. Ammon, who played the full 90 minutes, also recorded four saves to help Embry-Riddle secure the draw.
Embry-Riddle edged the Yotes in total fouls, 15-7, with the Eagles playing a more physical game. Despite this, College of Idaho remained composed and disciplined, managing to avoid any cards while controlling much of the second-half play.
