Box Score
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Allysa Kenney and
Whitney Peterson each scored to lift Idaho State to a 2-0 road win over North Dakota in Big Sky Conference play Friday afternoon.
With the win the Bengals are just one win away from a second-consecutive trip to the Big Sky Conference Tournament which will be held in Portland Nov. 7-10.
Idaho state and North Dakota alike had to deal with a strong winds gusting to 45 mph. The Bengals had to face it in the first half.
Despite the wind the Bengals found themselves with a corner kick in the 28th minute. The ball was cleared by North Dakota to Kenney who headed back into the Box. North Dakota again cleared it back to Kenney who sent a left footer back past the keeper for her second goal of the season.
The Bengal backline survived the first half wind and held UND to just three shots with just one on goal.
"The wind was so bad in the first half," Head Coach
Allison Gibson said. "Every one of our clears went straight up in the air or out-of-bounds and every one of their shots went 50 yards downfield. It was pretty frustrating but we got the advantage in the second half."
In the 60th minute the Bengals took advantage of the wind. A clearing pass found
Lanie Ward just inside midfield who sent a near-perfect back pass past several defenders to an open Peterson who beat the keeper low right for the goal.
The goal was Peterson's first since an injury in the Southern Utah game. She hasn't missed a game but had to wear a facemask to protect her nose.
"I have been so impressed with her toughness," Gibson said. "I don't know if I have ever coached a player as tough as she is. She just plays so hard and so fast. Time and time again the she out-hustles everyone. Scoring was huge for her confidence and we'll need her for this final stretch."
Idaho State has just one game remaining on their schedule. The Bengals play Sunday at Northern Colorado in a win-and-in the Big Sky tournament situation.
"We're need to play much better soccer Sunday," Gibson said. "It's just one more game, it just happens to mean everything. Our players know what they have to do so we don't have to put any more pressure on them. It just comes down to executing."
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