As the Idaho Vandals walked off the field after a heartbreaking loss in the Big Sky championship, the team was entering a new phase of the program. With several key players graduating, with new faces and fresh energy, Idaho soccer is evolving. The program is reshaping itself and is ready to keep the culture and expectations set by the teams of the past.
The Vandals began their spring season on Saturday with a trip to Spokane to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Vandals hadn’t been back to Spokane since their NCAA tournament loss to the Bulldogs in 2023.
Idaho will have two more games before their alumni game on April 26 at 1 p.m. On Wednesday, the Vandals will travel to Pullman to face Washington State at 7 p.m., a team that defeated Idaho 2-1 in the regular season. Idaho will close out its spring with a home game on April 12 against Spokane Community College at 2 p.m.
The Vandals have hit the grass and are ready to prove that they can still compete for a Big Sky championship even with the change in the program. Through the transfer portal, they were able to get some fresh faces to continue that expectation.
The six transfers are outside back Georgia Whitehead, center back Kya Parke, defender Amalia Fonua, midfielder Deanna Montero and forwards Karina Da Silva and Callie Chiarelli.
Whitehead, a Coeur d’Alene native, played her first two seasons across the border at Washington State. She’s a versatile player who can play all over the wing and will be an instant impact for the Vandals and is excited for the opportunity.
“There are some big shoes to fill coming from the Big Sky championship and the final last year, but I saw this as an opportunity to just step in and be a big role right away. And I know I can fill those shoes if I’m just given the right opportunity,” Whitehead said.
Along the back line, Parke, a California State Fullerton transfer, and Amalia Fonua, coming from Jackson State, will look to compete and help rebuild the Vandals’ back line that was one of the best in the Big Sky for the last three years.
Montero, a University of Washington transfer, is an exciting midfielder who will give the Vandals some creativity and playmaking ability and bring an offensive spark to the Vandal midfield.
Chiarelli from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Da Silva from the University of Kansas join a forward group that returns talented players, including Naomi Alvarez and Karli Yoshida-Williams, and will bring depth and goal-scoring ability to the forward room.
“It’s an opportunity for people to step up in different opportunities we’re looking at all things,” Head Coach Jeremy Clevenger said. “We have a pretty good core of how we play and a system in place, but at the same time, we’re looking at new people, new personnel, and different ways to approach things. It’s fun for us coaches to be out here with new people and coming a different type of vibe.”
The Vandals will look a lot different than in previous years; the players will look for people to step up and fill their shoes, hitting the ground running in the fall.
“When you lose a big group, it’s an opportunity for people to step up,” Clevenger said. “A lot of people have the thing that stands out to me is the group itself. They’re doing extra on their own, everyone’s fit, they’re working hard. When you have a full group committed to getting better, that’s what I’ve been happy with.”
The new players will be ones to keep an eye on this spring and many returning players are stepping up for roles they haven’t played before. Both groups’ performances this spring will predict how this Vandal team will perform in the fall.
Midfielder Annika Farley is the Vandals’ most experienced returning starter. Her skill, composure and experience made her a three-year starter for the Vandals, and her leadership this off-season has been huge in keeping the Vandals on the right track.
“She set the tone right away in spring. I was like, ‘who’s going to step up and lead?’ And it’s been seamless, and we’re fortunate for that,” Clevenger said.
Alvarez and Yoshida-Williams have also helped in that aspect, according to Clevenger, and will be looked upon throughout the spring and fall seasons going forward.
As the Vandals step onto the field this spring, there’s a quiet excitement in the air. The faces may be new, but the determination is the same. With key players graduating, this season represents a chance for fresh talent to step up, while allowing the team to find its new identity and maintain Idaho soccer into the fall. All this goes toward the quest for another Big Sky championship when the season rolls around.
Vandals will kick off the spring on March 29 at 1 p.m. against Gonzaga at Luger Field in Spokane.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu