Photo: Bethany Baker
It wasn’t always pretty but the Idaho State University soccer team got the job done. The Bengals made a late season surge for the top seed in the conference and are looking to ride that momentum to a Big Sky title.
ISU won its third regular-season title on Saturday defeating North Dakota 3-0 at Davis Field. This is ISU’s first regular season title since 2006 and its first tournament appearance since 2009. ISU also won regular season titles in 2002 and 2006.
The Bengals will host the Big Sky Tournament at Davis Field Nov. 2 and Nov. 4.
As winners of the regular-season ISU earns the right to host the Big Sky Tournament.
Idaho State has won the Big Sky Tournament four times: 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.
The winner of the tournament receives the Big Sky’s automatic invitation to the NCAA College Cup.
“A great big congratulations to my team,” ISU Head Coach Allison Gibson said. “They have just fought so incredibly hard for this and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
For the past five years, Senior Day for ISU soccer meant the last home game for our seniors, but not this year.
This year Senior Day was capped off with celebrating a Big Sky Championship. ISU fans will get at least one more chance to watch ISU’s five seniors Anna Pingree, Laura Perez, Rachel Strawn, Morgan Olson and Alishia Cairl.
“This group of seniors is so special to me,” Gibson said. “In 2009 all of them except for Pingree, who is a transfer, were in the Big Sky Championship final, so they had a taste of what it was like to be there. 2010 and 2011 were just not strong years for us and I leaned a lot on those players. I told them to stick with me, believe in themselves, believe in this team and I would get them back there. That was my promise to them and every day I have thought of that promise. I made sure that I did my job to make that a reality for them.”
The Bengals are heading into the tournament as the hottest team in the Big Sky Conference. They ended the season on a four-game winning steak and have won six out of the last seven games.
Despite being picked to finish seventh in the preseason polls they never doubted their ability. They showed a renewed mental toughness that has propelled this team to the top.
They are led by the offense of Rachel Strawn. She has scored 10 goals this year, one short from tying the ISU record for most goals in a season.
Strawn’s offensive performance has been the biggest story of the year. She has finally become the Bengal that everybody was expecting. She led ISU with 20 shots last year but only scored two goals. This year she has scored ten goals on 45 shots.
Amanda Ellsworth, the reigning co-Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, has scored eight goals on the season.
Defensively, the Bengals are led by the strong playing of seniors Anna Pingree and Morgan Olson at midfield. The Bengals’ starting goalie has missed the entire year with a broken leg but freshman Sheridan Hapsic has come on really strong at the end of the season.
The top four teams in the conference regular-season standings advance to the championship. In the semifinals No.1 seed Idaho State Bengals will face No. 4 seed Weber State Wildcats. No. 2 seed Portland State Vikings and No. 3 seed Montana Grizzlies play one another. The semifinal matches are played Friday the championship match being held on Sunday.
