Box Score
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POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State (11-5-1, 6-2-1) had a decisive 3-0 win Saturday afternoon against the University of North Dakota (2-13-1, 0-9) as the Bengals clinched a share of the Big Sky Conference title and the right to host the conference tournament Friday, Nov. 2 and Sunday, Nov. 4.
“A great big congratulations to my team,” ISU Head Coach
Allison Gibson said. “They have just fought so incredibly hard for this and I couldn't be prouder of them.”
Sophomore forward
Amanda Ellsworth led the Bengals with two goals in the contest. Ellsworth scored her first goal of the game and seventh of the season in the 27
th minute off an assist from sophomore midfielder
Madeline Gochnour. Gochnour centered the ball into the box where Ellsworth knocked it in from about five yards away.
Ellsworth scored her second goal of the contest and eighth of the season in the 65
th minute as she headed the ball into the net off a corner kick.
Junior defender
Allyson Stainbrook got the Bengals on the board, scoring first for ISU in the 23
rd minute. Stainbrook scored the goal off a corner kick that bent into the goal. The goal is Stainbrook's second of the year.
Freshman goalkeeper
Sheridan Hapsic recorded her second straight shutout during the day after making seven saves in 90 minutes of action.
The win is extra special for ISU's five seniors,
Anna Pingree,
Laura Perez,
Rachel Strawn,
Morgan Olson and
Alishia Cairl who all played their final regular season game at Davis Field after being recognized prior to the game today.
“This group of seniors is so special to me,” Gibson said. “In 2009 all of them except for Pingree who is a transfer, were in the Big Sky Championship final, so they had a taste of what it was like to be there. 2010 and 2011 were just not strong years for us and I leaned a lot on those players. I told them to stick with me, believe in themselves, believe in this team and I would get them back there. That was my promise to them and every day I have thought of that promise. I made sure that I did my job to make that a reality for them.”
The win marks the first regular-season title for the Bengals since the 2006 season. It is the third time that Idaho State has clinched a regular season title as the Bengals earned the honor in 2002 and 2006 as well. It is Idaho State's first appearance in the post-season tournament since 2009.
This is Gibson's second career Big Sky regular season title. She led the Bengals to a Big Sky Tournament Championship in her first season at ISU defeating Sacramento State 4-3 in a penalty kick thriller. That year the Bengals faced Utah in the NCAA College Cup.
Idaho State has won the Big Sky Tournament four times: 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.
The Bengals will return to Davis Field as the No. 1 seed and will take on the No. 4 seed Friday, Nov. 2. Time is yet to be determined.
We Are Your Bengals
