ISU Soccer in the Hunt for Conference Title this Weekend

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BENGAL OVERVIEW
Idaho State (9-5-1, 4-2-1) is in the hunt for a conference title and the opportunity to host the Big Sky Conferenct Tournament this week as the Bengals prep to take on Northern Colorado (6-5-4, 4-1-2) and North Dakota (2-11-1, 0-7) at home. Idaho State is currently 3-0-0 at home this season and if the squad wins both games this weekend, ISU has a good chance of hosting the conference tournament. The Bengals face Northern Colorado Thursday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. and North Dakota Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. Saturday will also be senior day for ISU's five seniors: Anna Pingree, Laura Perez, Rachel Strawn, Morgan Olson and Alishia Cairl.

ABOUT IDAHO STATE
The Bengals are 9-5-1 on the season and are led by senior forward Rachel Strawn who has netted 10 goals this season. The 5-2 Roy, Utah native also leads ISU in points (21), shots (45), shots on goal (25) and game-winning goals (5). Forward Amanda Ellsworth leads the assist effort with five in her sophmore campaign. At goal, freshman Sheridan Hapsic has 39 saves and 14 goals allowed. ISU has scored 26 goals this season and recorded 194 total shots.

Idaho State leads the conference in points, averaging 4.73 per game. The squad also leads in total goals (26), goals per game (1.73), assists (19) and assists per game (1.27). Strawn leads the conference indiviudally in points, points per game, goals, goals per game and game-winning goals. She is third in the conference in shots. Sophomore forward Amanda Ellsworth is third in the conference in points, points per game, goals, game-winning goals. Ellsworth is second in assists and assists per game. Nationally, ISU is ranked No. 81 in win-loss percentage and No. 85 in scoring offense.

LAST WEEK IN BENGAL SOCCER
Last week, Idaho State jumped from No. 8 in the conference to a tie for third with wins over Portland State and Sacramento State on the road. The Bengals defeated PSU 2-1 with Mikaela Carrillo scoring her first career goal. Kiley Godfrey scored ISU's second goal of the contest, her second of the season as well. Sophomore forward Amanda Ellsworth scored two goals in the game against Sacramento State, earning Big Sky Player of the Week honors.

STRAWN AMONG NATION'S BEST
Not only is senior forward Rachel Strawn leading the team and the conference, she is also putting herself among some of the top players nationally at the DI level. Strawn is currently seventh in the country at the DI level in game-winning goals, 31st in total goals, 33rd in goals per game, 63rd in total points and 57th in points per game.

Strawn continues to climb the ISU record lists. With 10 goals this season, she is one goal away from tying the ISU single-season record for goals made and is six away from tying the very same Big Sky record. Strawn is now third in ISU single-season points (21).

Career-wise, Strawn is now second all-time in ISU history for career points (47), goals (16), game-winning goals (9) and shots on goal (71). She is fourth in shots with 129 total.

ELLSWORTH NAMED CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore forward Amanda Ellsworth has been named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after her performances against Portland State and Sacramento State on the road last weekend.

Ellsworth played a pivotal role in helping ISU get the road sweep that took the squad from No. 8 in the conference standings to a tie for third. Ellsworth scored two goals against Sacramento State, giving ISU a 2-1 victory over the Hornets. Ellsworth tied the game 1-1 in the 24th minute and then scored the game-winning goal a little more than 10 minutes later off a penalty kick.

ELLSWORTH SCORES ISU'S FASTEST GOAL
In ISU's 2-1 loss to Eastern Washington, sophomore forward Amanda Ellsworth helped ISU jump to a very early lead with a goal in the 22nd second of the game. The goal is ISU's fastest goal from the start of the game. Stacey Peterson previously held the record, scoring 36 seconds into the game against Youngstown State in 2002.

ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO
Northern Colorado is currently second in the conference with a 4-1-2 record. The Bears are 6-5-4 overall and 1-2-2 on the road this season. NC is tied for first in the Big Sky in goals allowed average (.93) and is second in points, goals, assists and goals against average. Brittany Dunn leads the Bears with four goals, four assists, 12 points and 16 shots on goal. Goalkeeper Natalie D'Adamio has notched 70 saves and six shutouts this season on her way to a 5-5-4 record. She has allowed 14 goals this season.

SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE BEARS
The series between the two programs is tied 3-3-1 and the Bengals are 1-1-1 when playing NC in Pocatello. Northern Colorado won the last meeting 3-1 in Greeley, Colo. on Oct. 9, 2011. Idaho State's last victory over the Bears was in a 2-0 shutout in Pocatello on Oct. 17, 2009.

ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota is currently 2-11-1 overall and 0-7 in Big Sky play. UND is 0-5-1 on the road this season and is on a nine-game losing skid. North Dakota's last win came in a 3-1 decision against South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2012. Taryn MacMillan leads North Dakota with three goals, eight points and one game-winning goal. Rhaya Ballon has a team-high 32 shots and 16 shots on goal. Goalie Kristi Hestdalen has posted 88 saves and one shutout with 38 goals allowed this season. This will be the first meeting between Idaho State and North Dakota.