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BENGAL OVERVIEW
The Bengals (5-3-0) open Big Sky Conference action this weekend on the road with a pair of match-ups againt conference foes Montana and Eastern Washington. Idaho State faces Montana Friday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. in Missoula, Mont., before taking on Eastern Washington Sunday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. in Cheney, Wash. Big Sky TV will cover the Montana game on Friday.
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
The Bengals are 5-3-0 on the season and are led by senior forward
Rachel Strawn who has netted seven goals. The 5-2 senior also leads ISU in points (15), shots (27), shots on goal (15) and game-winning goals (4). Sophomore forward
Amanda Ellsworth leads the assist effort with five on the season. At goal, sophomore
Maria Dela Cruz has 13 saves and five goals allowed. ISU has scored 16 goals this season and recorded 95 total shots.
Idaho State leads the conference in points, averaging 5.75 per game. The squad also leads in total goals (16), goals per game (2.00), assists (14) and assists per game (1.75). Strawn leads the conference indiviudally in points, points per game, goals and game-winning goals. She is second in the conference in shots and shots per game. Senior midfielder
Anna Pingree is second in the conference in points (10) and points per game (1.25). She is also tied for second in goals with four. Ellsworth is leading the conference in assists (5) and assists per game (.62).
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL SOCCER
Last week Idaho State defeated Utah Valley 2-1 in overtime in Orem.
Rachel Strawn scored her seventh goal of the season in the seventh minute of overtime to lift the Bengals to a 2-1 victory at UVU. The Bengals snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 5-3 going into the start of Big Sky Conference play. The Bengals controlled the match as they had 27 shots to the Wolverine's 12. ISU had nine shots on goal to UVU's six. After a scoreless first half, ISU got on the board in the 55th minute on an
Anna Pingree goal.
Amanda Ellsworth notched two assists during the contest while
Madeline Gochnour recorded one.
SOCCER STANDOUT: RACHEL STRAWN
With the game-winning overtime goal against Utah Valley, senior
Rachel Strawn became the first Bengal to score four game-winning goals in a season since 2001. Strawn continues to work her way up in the ISU record books. For her career she is currently third in both points (41) and game-winning goals (8) and she is tied for fourth in both goals (13) and assists (15). As far as her single-season stats for the 2012 campaing go, she is tied for second all-time in game-winning goals (4) and tied for fourth in goals with seven.
After scoring three goals and helping lead ISU to wins against North Dakota State and New Mexico State at the Holiday Inn Classic in Boise, Idaho, Strawn was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week for matches played Aug. 17-20. Strawn has scored seven goals and posted 27 shots with 15 shots on goal so far this season. She has recorded 15 points and scored four game-winning goals.
PINGREE LEADS BENGALS AT THE MIDFIELD
Anna Pingree continues to be a strong presence for ISU in the midfield. She scored her fourth goal of the season in the 55th minute against UVU, putting ISU up 1-0. The goal also marked the second time this season that Pingree has been the first player to put ISU on the board this season.
Pingree scored three goals at the Governor's Cup, earning co-Big Sky Player of the Week honors. Pingree helped ISU shutout Idaho 2-0 with a volley on a corner kick for the goal to put the Bengals up 2-0. The Bengals improved to 4-0-0 after the win over Idaho, the first time ISU has started at 4-0 since the 2004 season. Pingree scored two goals against Boise State in a 3-2 overtime loss. She tied the game 1-1 in the 58th minute and scored again in the 69th minute to put ISU up 2-1. Pingree has four goals on the season and two assists for a total of 10 points.
ABOUT MONTANA
Montana is currently 4-4-1 on the season. In the team's last contest it tied New Mexico State 0-0 on Sept. 14. UM leads the conference in shots (126), goals against average (1.17), shutouts (4) and corner kicks (47). Erin Craig leads the Griz with four goals, eight points, 32 shots, 15 shots on goal and two game-winning goals on the season. Craig leads the conference in shots with 32. Goalkeeper Kristin Hoon has recorded 31 saves and allowed 11 goals this season. She boasts a 1.18 goal allowed average.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE GRIZ
Montana leads the series 9-6-1 and the Griz won the last contest 2-1 Oct. 15, 2011 in Pocatello. ISU is currently on a two-game losing streak to UM. ISU last defeated UM 3-1 on Oct. 8, 2009 in Pocatello. ISU is 3-2-1 at home against the Griz.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington is currently 3-4-1 this season and 2-1-0 at home. The Eagles are on a three-game winning streak after defeating Boise State, Idaho and Hawaii. Cassie Black leads EWU with four goals, nine points, 19 shots, 13 shots on goal and two game-winning goals. Goalkeeper Natalie Schwery has 30 saves, two shutouts and four goals allowed this season and is leading the conference in goals against average (1.06) and save percentage (.882).
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE EAGLES
ISU leads the series 10-5-1 and the Bengals won the last meeting between the two programs 2-1 on Oct. 13, 2011 at Idaho State. The Bengals are currently on a one-game win streak against EWU. The Bengals are 6-0-1 at home against the Eagles.
We Are Your Bengals
