Bengals Punch Ticket to Big Sky Tournament

BY MATT GITTINS, ISU Sports Information

OGDEN, Utah – The Idaho State soccer team overcame a late second half deficit to edge Weber State 2-1 and punch their ticket to the Big Sky Conference tournament.

The Bengals entered Friday's match knowing they needed a win to keep their season alive.  It was the same situation they faced in 2013 but fell to Northern Colorado to come up short of the postseason. 

The Wildcats appeared to have plans to play spoilers on their senior day. WSU scored the first goal of the match in the 50th minute on a shot from Mackenzie Peck.

"It was that thorn in our side from last year," Head Coach Allison Gibson said of the final match of 2013. "We were so close to making the tournament last year. We talked a little bit about it before the game."

The team refused to succumb to the same fate of the previous year.  Whitney Peterson found the equalizer in the 67th minute to level the game at one.  Amanda Ellsworth earned an assist on the play giving her 82 career points and setting the Big Sky career record in that category.

"You don't want your season to be over," Peterson said. "I think we stayed really calm and just kept going at it and knew we were going to score."

"I knew if we believed all the way through we were going to get it. There was no question about it," Gibson said.

It wouldn't take long to have the throngs of orange and black clad supporters back on their feet.  ISU sent a corner kick into the box which would eventually find its way to Maria Sanchez.  The freshman took a one-touch left-footed strike past a diving keeper for the game-winner.

"It was hard especially knowing that if we lost we wouldn't make it," Sanchez said. "We had to do something and risk something and just play it out."

"She practices and practices that shot," Gibson said. "For her to hit it in that moment was tremendous."

ISU advances to the conference tournament which will be held November 6th through the 9th at the University of Montana.

"The talent on this team and everything they've battled through is so incredible," Gibson said. "I wanted it so badly for them. Being on the road and having to win again and to get it this year. I think there is nothing this team can't do."