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POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State defeated Northwest Nazarene 4-1 in the Bengals home opener at Davis Field Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals outshot the Crusaders 28-to-2, posting 14 shots in each half. Freshman
Amanda Ellsworth led the Bengals with two goals including the game winner 49:11 into the contest; bumping up her total to three goals for the season in ISU's first two games.
"It was a good win for us," said Head Coach
Allison Gibson. "I think in the second half we did a much better job with our intensity level. I told them we have to step up our own level and hold ourselves accountable to that. We have to get hungry in the box and they did that."
ISU tied the school record for corner kicks for the third time with 13, notching seven in the second period. The Bengals first set the record in 2000 against Carroll College and repeated in 2009 against Utah Valley. All three 13-corner kick games were played at Davis Field. Northwest Nazarene did not have a corner kick in the competition.
Senior forward
Taylor Powell put the Bengals on the scoreboard early with a goal 3:41 into play. Sophomore
Allyson Stainbrook served up a corner kick to the middle of the box whereupon junior
Anna Pingree punched the ball back into the box from the opposite side giving Powell the opportunity to put the ball away to the right of the keeper. Both Stainbrook and Pingree were credited with the assist. The goal was Powell's first of the season and sixth of her career.
Amanda Ellsworth, a freshman forward, jumped on the scoring band wagon by fielding a pass from
Ashley Jones allowing Ellsworth to go 1 v. 1 with the Northwest Nazarene keeper. Ellsworth tapped the ball to the left of Tanya Zickefoose for her first goal of the game.
Ellsworth would go on to score again at the 66:23 mark with assistance from junior forward
Rachel Strawn. Strawn dribbled up the right side of the field before handing off the ball to the freshman who punched it past the keeper seven yards out.
“I love watching her. She is so passionate about the game. You can look at her and tell how passionate she is about the game,” said Gibson of Ellsworth. “She is such a fun kid to coach. She is lighting it up out there and she's having a blast.”
Alex Hansen scored her first career goal on a header off a corner kick from freshman
Allyssa Kenney at the 56:08 mark.
Sophomore keeper
Carly Hutchings-Maloney started in goal for the Bengals and played 71:18 without a single shot taken against her. Freshman keeper
Maria Dela Cruz played the remaining 18:42 in her first game as a Bengal.
Northwest Nazarene put up just two shots against Idaho State; both in the second half. NNU almost put together a one shot wonder when Erika Kristensen, a junior forward, scored on the Crusaders first shot of the game. Teammate Julianne Steele, a sophomore, booted the ball nearly half the length of the field before Kristensen collected it and whipped a shot past Bengal keeper Dela Cruz.
Crusader Sarah Staropoli had her chance to raise the score when she was selected for the penalty kick when ISU fouled in the NNU box at the 74:59 mark. Staropoli pulled the shot high and wide right past the goal.
The Bengals return to Davis Field Friday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. to host Nevada in the second game of a three-game home stretch. Idaho State holds a 1-1 series against Nevada with the Wolf Pack capturing their first win over the Bengals last season in a 2-0 contest on their home field at Mackay Stadium.
“I think they are going to be a strong team, a scrappy team,” said Gibson of Nevada. “They are a well-coached team and I think we need to establish ourselves, our level of intensity and our level of play and keep our composure. I think we can do that throughout the season no matter who we play, we know where the level has to be because we set the level, I think that's what we have to do looking forward to Friday. They're a good fight and obviously they got us last year so we are anxious to get back at them.”
NOTE: Ellsworth's two goals in the second half ties for the school record in points in a half with four as well as the school record for goals in a half. Ellsworth also ties for second in the school record for total goals in a game and is tied for seventh in total points in a game. Ellsworth led the Bengals with five shots, three on goal, followed by
Laura Perez and Kenney with four each. The last time Idaho State opened the season with two victories was in 2008. The last time ISU beat an opponent 4-1 was last season defeating the College of Idaho in ISU's home opener.
