Sept. 12, 2010
Final Stats
Media Book: Idaho State 4 - Southern Utah 3 
POCATELLO, Idaho - Sophomore Ashley Jones scored two goals for the Bengals including the game-winner off a penalty kick in the second period to secure the 4-3 victory for Idaho State (5-2-1) over Southern Utah (2-2-1) at Davis Field Sunday afternoon. Idaho State held a 2-0 lead going into the break, and never trailed in the contest. A pair of penalty kicks closed out the half with ISU's Jones securing the victory and a two-point lead before Southern Utah's penalty kick rolled the opponent's tally up a notch.
ISU's contest against Southern Utah began and ended with Jones, the 2009 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year scored the opening goal just 5:30 into play off a header from an Alex Hansen flip throw. Hansen was credited with the assist. The goal was Jones' second of the season. She would go on to post her third goal of the season off a penalty kick. ISU's defender Liv Zabka was taken to the ground and drew the foul that Jones took to the bank for her eighth goal of her career.
Just 2:51 after midfielder Jones' opening goal, ISU's Taylor Powell, a redshirt junior, scored for the Bengals to give ISU a 2-0 lead. Senior forward Lauren Ryan took a shot of her own that hit the crossbar and fell to the ground. Powell, who is known for her speed, swooped in to finish the shot to the back of the net. The goal was Powell's second of the season, fifth of her career.
"We didn't even talk about the score. You played the best 15 minutes of soccer I'd seen and then you let your foot off the gas pedal a bit and we chased the next 35 minutes. It's such a mental game at that point. Sometimes an early goal can be the kiss of death because you relax," ISU head Coach Allison Gibson said. "We haven't scored two goals in the first half like that in a long time and I think we got complacent thinking it was going to be six-nothing game."
Idaho State controlled the pace of the game in the first half posting 11 shots to the Thunderbirds five. The second period began with the same confidence as senior defender Lauren Hough scored her first goal of the season, second of her career just 1:42 into the second period. Hough collected the ball off a defender and hit the back of the net four yards out from the goal. Southern Utah keeper Charly Booth got a hand on the ball, but it would continue on its intended path.
After Hough's goal, Southern Utah had three opportunities to score on back-to-back corner kicks but could not finish. Less than two minutes later, SUU's junior midfielder Emily Belnap sent up a bleak, deep shot 40 yards out from the box that cleared the ISU defender's heads and caught Bengal keeper Bailey Williams off guard as it sailed in at the 53:08 mark. The goal was Belnap's first of the season. Williams recorded two saves in the match-up.
Despite a few breakdowns, the Bengal defense held their own during the contest keeping Southern Utah without a single shot on goal in the first period and just five in the second. Southern Utah's second goal of the game was a short down the field play that began with Morgan Bridge, a sophomore midfielder, who passed the ball up to McKenzie Hadley. Hadley, a junior forward from Eagle, Idaho, used fancy footwork to split a Bengal defender and the ISU keeper. Her shot slipped through the seam for her first goal of the season notched at the 77:51 mark.
"I was really impressed with their fight and their heart and never giving up. It was a scary team to play against for that reason. A lot of teams will settle in at that point and will take the back seat a little bit and they didn't. Their coaching staff kept them going and fired up and they were fueled by that energy from their bench and kept going. That coupled with our settling a bit was a dangerous mix."
ISU felt the pressure of the ensuing Thunderbirds as ISU held a one point lead with 12:09 remaining and SUU on a two-goal streak. With emotions high and aggressive play coming to a head, Southern Utah was whistled with a foul in the box to give the Bengals a penalty kick which Jones took. SUU's keeper Booth dove left when she should have gone right and the Bengals gained a two-point cushion, up 4-2 with 11:09 remaining. Booth recorded eight saves during the contest.
Idaho State was whistled with 16 fouls in the match, 10 in the second half alone, while Southern Utah was whistled with seven fouls. One of ISU's fouls was in the box giving Southern Utah their opportunity at a penalty kick. Riley Bassett, a junior midfielder from Las Vegas, Nev., put the ball to the back of the net at the 85:56 mark for her sixth goal of the season. The Bengals sent the ball into corner of the field to work the clock for the remaining 4:04 when available to capture the victory.
"Not a complete game for us, but like I told them we got the win and that's what people remember," said Gibson. "We've got to get better and keep getting better."
Idaho State improved their home record to 4-1-1 at home. The Bengals celebrated two birthday's on the field with sophomore's Hansen and Alishia Cairl. Idaho State's victory over Southern Utah capped off a six game home stay. ISU's next four matches will be on the road starting at Nevada on Thursday, Sept. 16 at MacKay Stadium. The contest will be ISU's first night game of the season with kick-off at 8 p.m.
--www.isubengals.com--
