Brianna Blair had the Yotes goal in the 1st minute
Nisbet Goals Send Oregon Tech to the Postseason
Mike Safford
CALDWELL, Idaho - Rebekah Nisbet scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with less than 10 minutes remaining, clinching a berth in the Cascade Conference Tournament for Oregon Tech, as the Owls defeated The College of Idaho, 2-1, at Simplot Stadium.
The victory for OIT (7-5-2, 5-2-2 CCC) ended a four-match losing streak to the Lady Yotes – withstanding a late flurry by the hosts.
Deadlocked at 1-1, Nisbet corralled a loose ball outside the box in the left corner in the 81st minute and bent a long shot off the right post to give Tech the lead. The Coyotes (5-8-1, 4-5) nearly tied it in the 88th on a Brianna Blair 20-yard strike that missed just hit, then had two chances in the final minute – one on a header by Jessica Ayala that was stopped by keeper Alyssa Ray, then a 25-yard drive by Blair that missed just left in the waning moments.
The Coyotes opened the scoring off the opening touch, as Kayla Bigelow played a long ball down the right side, finding Blair, who took two touches and drove a shot into the upper right corner of the net for the early advantage. OIT would answer in the seventh minute, as Nisbet took a pass from Veronica Steward well outside the box and chipped a ball over the head of C of I keeper, Melissa Holmes-Joseph, who was outside the six-yard box, finding the net.
In the 12th minute, the Yotes nearly took the lead – but a Katy Radko header off a corner missed just above the crossbar, while in the 39th minute, a great through-ball found Sarah Hicks alone 1-on-1 with Ray, but her strike from inside the box missed just left of the far post.
The Yotes held a 16-13 edge in total shots and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks – as Ray made two saves to earn the victory. The match had 24 total fouls and four cautions – including three in a skirmish in the 72nd minute near the OIT bench.
The match was the final collegiate contest for five C of I seniors – Ayala, Bigelow, Natasha Rooney, Brittney Lacey, and Anabel Maldonado.