Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

Defense records two shutouts against Boise State and Idaho

Fresh off a 1-0 win over Boise State Friday night, the Fresno State soccer team duplicated its performance with another 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon against the Idaho Vandals.

The two wins over the weekend improved the Bulldogs̢۪ record to 8-8-2 overall (4-1-1 WAC).

“We played better in the game against Boise,â€Â said coach Steve Springthorpe. “Against Idaho we had just enough, but in the end still got the ‘W.’â€Â

In a back-and-forth type of game against the Broncos, all the action took place in the final 20 minutes as Alex Jensen scored the game winner while goalie Kaitlyn Revel and the defense made some big stops down the stretch to secure the game.

The Bulldogs controlled the ball throughout Sunday̢۪s game. In the 30th minute, Ali Sill passed to Laura Dodd for a goal. However, Dodd was called offsides and the goal was erased. While having a number of chances to score, the Bulldogs entered the half with nothing to show for it.

Springthorpe said that̢۪s been the story of the year.

“We always have chances, but can’t capitalize. Good thing the defense is getting it done though,â€Â Springthorpe said.

In the 71st minute, the Bulldogs finally got on the board. A corner kick by Kendall VanDine was sent into the box and defender Selena Gill found and kicked the ball, keeping it just inside the top left post. The lone and much-needed goal was Gill̢۪s first career goal as a Bulldog. The celebration was a little more special as she was bombarded with hugs from the team.

Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

The senior Gill said it felt good to finally get one.

“I was hoping sometime this year I’d be able to put one away,â€Â Gill said. “I had 16 goals in high school as a defender, but playing defense in college, I’m more concerned with maintaining the shutout.â€Â

A shutout is something the Bulldogs̢۪ defense is getting used to. The team has only allowed one goal in conference play, and has nine recorded shutouts on the year. However, the offensive struggles continue.

Springthorpe said he has accepted that his team is not a goal-scoring type of team.

“Reality shows us that we’re not,â€Â Springthorpe said. “We’ve only had a couple games where we’ve scored more than one goal.â€Â

The Bulldogs finished the game out-shooting the Vandals 16-1. However, Springthorpe was not satisfied with the win over the 1-14-2 Vandals.

“I didn’t like our effort, and we weren’t aggressive enough,â€Â Springthorpe said. “We nearly tied them, and a tie would have been very disappointing.â€Â

On a more positive note, the Bulldogs now hold their own destiny for securing a top two spot going into the WAC Tournament. A win this upcoming Sunday against Nevada will give the Bulldogs a bye for the first round of play.

Gill feels this weekend was important in the sense of picking up two wins and building momentum leading up to the conference tournament.

“We’re having fun out here and know we have a legitimate shot to win the WAC Tournament and get an NCAA bid,â€Â Gill said.

Springthorpe feels the Bulldogs have as good of a chance as anyone in the conference to come out with a tournament title.

“It’s a competitive conference,â€Â Springthorpe said. “We know we could play with anyone, but we need to continue to step up our play.â€Â

Gill said she would like to end her senior season on a high note with a tournament title and hopefully go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m not ready to leave after the WAC Tournament,â€Â Gill said. “I’ve been to the NCAA Tournament, but I’d love to take the young ones to the big dance.â€Â

With sole possession of second place in the WAC, the Bulldogs will first look to secure their top two spot against the Wolf Pack on Sunday Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. The WAC Tournament begins on Nov. 6.

Fresno State lost in the WAC Championship game last season to Hawaii, 1-0.