C of I and Evergreen Play to 1-1 Draw
CALDWELL, Idaho – Needing a goal to prolong their season, the College of Idaho battled through a frenetic final 25 minutes and overtime, but the Evergreen State College would not surrender the needed score, as the Yotes and Geoducks played to a 1-1 draw at Simplot Stadium.
TESC (8-4-4, 5-4-4 CCC) advances to the Cascade Conference Championships with the draw, while the Yotes finished the season one spot out of the postseason. C of I saw their season come to a close after a late push where the team went 4-1-1 over their final six matches.
The Coyotes (6-6-3, 5-6-2) erased a 1-0 Evergreen lead in the 66th minute, as Cole Fuller slotted a pass from the right side to the top of the six-yard-box – with Ahmet Huremovic blasting home the sitter.
Both teams had quality chances for the winner – TESC getting two looks in the 76th minute from Mitchell Balmer and Collin Tate inside the box on a flurry following a corner kick; while in the first overtime, an unmarked Bekir Cinac missed a header inside the area and Cole Fuller had a 15-yard rocket from inside the box elude the left post by inches. In the final 10 minutes, Zach Dean made a diving stop to turn away Christian Segovia, while Geoducks keeper Ben Stevenson stopped both Cinac and Fuller in the waning moments.
The visitors struck first in the 18th minute, as Segovia collected a rebound off a blocked Juan Lopez shot and ripped a 20-yard dart into the net. C of I had two chances to square the match in the period – as a Jack O'Leary 20-yard flick off a failed TESC clearance missed just left and Fuller missed a sliding one-timer inches right off a Huremovic free kick.
C of I held a 21-18 edge in shots and had a 7-3 edge in corners. Both keepers were solid – as Dean made six saves and Stevenson led the way with nine stops.
The game marked the final game in a Coyote kit for seniors Brenden Kenley and Irvin Brown.