Match Notes l ND Live Stats l ND Audio (free) and Video l NC Live Stats
POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State split last weekend's home matches against Sacramento State and Portland State and currently sits in the fifth spot in the Big Sky conference standings with one weekend to play. They will play North Dakota and Northern Colorado this week.
The Bengals control their own destiny. If they win both matches Idaho State will play in their second straight Big Sky tournament.
Amanda Ellsworth broke the school record for career goals Thursday when she scored two goals to lead the Bengals to the 2-1 win over Sacramento State. The previous record was held by Stacey Allen-Peterson who played from 2000-2003.
Sheridan Hapsic has a 1.38 goals allowed average for the season and 79 saves as well as four shutouts on the season.
The Bengals held Portland State and Sacramento State, two of the highest scoring teams in the big sky, to just one goal each over the weekend.
LAST MATCH: PORTLAND STATE
The Idaho State Bengals fell to Portland State 1-0 on a goal by Tamia Hasan in the 86th minute of the final home match of the 2013 season for the Bengals.
The Bengals were shutout for the first time in 12 matches and the Vikings scored their eighth shutout of 2013 as they clinched the Big Sky Conference regular-season title.
The defensive battle was highlighted by
Sheridan Hapsic who faced 14 shots and made three saves.
The Idaho State offense was only able to muster up one shot in the first half. The second half was better with seven shots but only three shots were on goal and none really challenged PSU keeper Caitlin Pease.
ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota is 1-9-0 in Big Sky play and is tied for ninth in the conference. Their lone conference win was a 3-1 win over Eastern Washington in Grand Forks.
Zoe Foster leads ND with four goals on the season and one of the two game-winners for ND.
Goalkeeper Krisit Hestdalen has 123 saves on the season and a 2.73 goals allowed average
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First-year coach Matt Kellogg leads North Dakota. Kellogg spent the previous three seasons as head women's soccer coach at NCAA Division II Ferris State University. Prior to that, he served as assistant women's soccer coach and recruiting coordinator at a pair of NCAA Division I schools, Morehead (Ky.) State University and the University of Kentucky.
ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO
The Bears currently sit in fourth place with a 4-2-1 record in the Big Sky. Sunday's match will most likely have significant implications to the Big Sky race. Idaho State and Northern Colorado are likely to be on the line to make the conference championship tournament that will be held in Portland on Nov. 7-10.
The Bears are led on offense by sophomore forward Essence Prtiz-Lanier. She has only started five games for the Bears but has scored a team high five goals.
Senior goalkeeper Natalie D'Adamio has a very respectable 0.99 goals allowed average. She has five shutouts this season.
The Bears are coached by veteran mentor Tim Barrera. He has coached NC for 15 years and coming into this season had a 123-116-22 record. The Bears just missed the 2012 Big Sky Championship after finishing in a tie with Weber State.
We Are Your Bengals
