Oct. 19, 2002
Box Score
Pocatello, ID---For the second straight game Heather Hunt and Stacey Peterson combined on the winning goal, helping the Idaho State Bengals to their third straight win, 1-0, over Northern Arizona Saturday afternoon in Big Sky Conference women's soccer action at Davis Field.
Peterson, a sophomore from Blackfoot, and Hunt, a junior from Murray, UT, who scored the Bengals two goals in a 2-1 win over Portland State on Thursday, were back at it on Saturday. Just 5:08 into the game the Bengals built the ball out of their end. Hunt took a cross from the right side and hit a streaking Peterson, who flicked it back to Hunt, who had cut into a defender and Hunt had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, who she beat to the upper right corner.
"The key in most games is scoring first," ISU Head Coach Gordon Henderson said. "By scoring first we forced NAU to change from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3, which left them exposed in the back."
Northern Arizona had most of the best opportunities, but couldn't get a past Shannon Boyle in the first half. The second half was a different story. With the Lumberjacks trying to press for the tying goal, ISU took advantage with strong counterattacks that produced eight shots and nearly a clinching goal. But time and again goalkeeper Andrea Berra and the NAU defense stopped Hunt and Peterson from putting another score on the board.
"I'm very happy with our defense," Henderson added. "In four Big Sky games we have allowed just two goals and we limited a very exceptional NAU squad to just five shots and two on goal. Hollie Christensen had an exceptional game in the back and I have to commend Ashley Kimenker who came in for an injured Emily Hubbard. The entire defense played really well. They really understand how to play zone and when to step and when to drop. It was a complete team performance."
Idaho State finished the game by outshooting NAU 10-5. The ISU defense limited the Lumberjacks to just two shots on goal in the game.
With the win ISU has now won three straight games and four of the last five to improve to 9-6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Sky Conference play. They will have at least a share of the BSC lead at the end of the weekend, pending the result of the Sacramento State-Montana game on Sunday. NAU dropped its fifth straight game to fall to 4-11-1 overall and 1-2 in Big Sky play. ISU will return to action on Friday, October 25 when they host Sacramento State at Davis Field at 3 p.m.
