Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – Coach Mary Trigg has her first career win, and it came against the rival Coyotes.

In their home debut, the Crusader women's soccer team scored a goal in each half to give first-year coach Trigg her first collegiate coaching victory, a 2-0 win over Canyon County rival The College of Idaho.

"It feels good," Trigg said, "we worked hard for it. We had a bunch of different people step up because we had a lot of injuries today, so it was a great way to get a win to have it come from a lot of different people."

The first goal of the season for NNU – which lost two heartbreakers, each 1-0 last week in California to start the season – came with 14:47 to halftime when Lexi Fesenbek sent a cross into the box that teammate Kelsey Martin headed in off the right goalpost.

Fesenbek then made it 2-0 just 41 seconds into the second half, booting home the rebound of a Lauren Kuklenski shot after Coyote goalkeeper Melissa Holmes-Joseph made a diving save.

"Lexi stepped up so much today, we've know how much potential she's had," Trigg said.
The 2-0 lead proved to be more than enough for NNU, though the final 44 minutes weren't easy for Trigg.

"For me it's never a relief," she said of a 2-0 lead, "so I think I was good maybe with 30 seconds left."

Monique Ray made three saves in goal to earn the shutout victory, making the 2-0 lead hold up for the Crusaders (1-2 overall), who next begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Thursday when they host No. 7-ranked Western Washington.

The win was the second straight for the Crusaders over their cross-county rivals, the Coyotes (2-3), and increased NNU's all-time series lead to 17-10 against The College of Idaho.