CALDWELL, Idaho - Erika Mouritsen scored a pair of goals, helping The College of Idaho to a dominant performance, blanking rival Northwest Nazarene, 4-0, at Syringa Middle School.
Meeting their Canyon County rival in Caldwell for the first time in seven years, the Lady Yotes (5-1) controlled the tempo for 90 minutes against the NCAA Division II school - not allowing a shot in the first half and recording a 16-3 shot edge. With the win, the Yotes equaled their best start in program history, joining the 2005 club that opened 5-1 - also the last team to defeat NNU.
Chelsea Heffner got the Coyotes on the board in the 29th minute, taking a pass from Kayla Bigelow and driving a shot through the hands of NNU (2-2-3) keeper Tanya Zickefoose. After having a shot in the opening five minutes clang off the right post and another turned away by Zickefoose in the 12th minute, Mouritsen struck the back of the net in the 32nd minute, collecting a loose ball of a defensive miscue by the Crusaders and scoring to make it 2-0.
NNU had their best opportunity of the game in the 61st minute, but Sarah Staropoli's free kick from 25 yards out missed to the left. The Yotes would tack on a pair of second half goals to put the game away - Mouritsen scoring off a cross at the top of the six-yard box by Jamie Reichel in the 82nd minute, then getting a Kelly Hardegree-Ullman goal off a nifty through-ball by Jessica Ayala less than two minutes later.
Sadie Hughes needed to make just one save to record her third-consecutive shutout - as the Yotes defeated NNU for just the third time this decade, but their second-straight win over the Crusaders in Caldwell.
The Lady Yotes will play an exhibition game Saturday at Walla Walla CC, their final tune-up before the opening of Cascade Conference play next weekend, as The C of I plays host to Evergreen State and Northwest at Simplot Stadium.