Oct. 17, 2002
Box Score
Pocatello, ID---Heather Hunt scored her first goal of the 2002 season, and Stacey Peterson added the clincher later as the Idaho State Bengals defeated Portland State, 2-1, Big Sky Conference women's soccer action Thursday afternoon at Davis Field.
Hunt, a junior from Murray, UT, scored the goal at the 27:29 mark of the first half. The Bengals brought the ball out of their end down the right side on a series of nearly perfect passes. Sarah Hobdey took the ball near midfield, dribbled and then sent it across to Stacey Peterson, who one-touched it perfectly to a cutting Hunt. Hunt placed the ball in the upper left corner, off the post, and just outside the reach of PSU keeper Joell Giger.
"Sometimes you need a little bit of luck to win," ISU Head Coach Gordon Henderson said. "We didn't have it against Montana last week. That's the seventh post she (Hunt) has hit this season and the first that went in. It was just a superb goal."
Just six minutes later the Vikings let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. Katie Miyake took the ball in off a free kick and smacked a shot the hit the crossbar. The rebound went to Megan Plinski, who had a wide-open right side of the net, but Plinski shot went high and hit off the crossbar as well. Then Carly Sawhill took in that rebound and smacked a shot that goalkeeper Shannon Boyle saved to preserve the lead.
That was easily the best opportunities for the Vikings in the first half, which ended with ISU leading 1-0. It didn't take ISU long to increase their lead in the second half.
Peterson, a sophomore from Blackfoot, scored the game-winner early in the second half. Hunt took in the ball near midfield, then passed the ball to a streaking Peterson, who outran the defense and put the ball in the upper right-hand side for the game-clincher at the 55:07 mark.
PSU came right back and finally put one in the back of the net just 1:15 later. Carly Sawhill advanced the ball down the middle of the field and set a pass ahead to Annie Pecia, who blasted a shot to the upper right, just past a diving Boyle to cut the lead to 2-1. The Vikings had other opportunities to tie the game in the second, outshooting ISU 8-4, but couldn't take advantage.
"That was a huge win for us," Henderson added. "I have to commend Portland State for their fight, they came right back at us. They created a lot of pressure by getting the ball into the box. PSU is legitimate contender for the Big Sky Crown and they proved it today."
Idaho State improves to 8-6-1 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky play. Portland State falls to 8-4-3 and 1-1. The Bengals will return to action on Saturday when they host Northern Arizona at Davis Field at 1 p.m.
