Soccer Hosts Westminster Friday Morning

NOTES l LIVE VIDEO l LIVE STATS

POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State is finally back in action with an exhibition match against Westminster College Friday, Aug. 15 at 9 a.m. at Davis Field.  ISU scoring record-holder and 2012 Big Sky Player of the Year Amanda Ellsworth is back to lead the Bengal attack. 2012 Big Sky Tournament MVP and 2013 All-conference second-team member Sheridan Hapsic is again between the posts for ISU.

Big Sky honorable mention players Whitney Peterson and Allyssa Kenney also return to the pitch for the Bengals.

Head Coach Allison Gibson enters her ninth season as the winningest coach in Idaho State History with a career record of 59-70-19.

BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL: BENGALS PICKED SIXTH
ISU was picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Big Sky Coaches Poll released  by the conference.
 
The Bengals finished fifth in the 2013 Big Sky rankings, one spot outside the Big Sky Tournament. This season the tournament includes the top six teams in the conference.
 
Portland State edged out Weber State as the top pick in the conference. Both teams received five first place votes but PSU had 93 total points to Weber's 92 in the poll.
 
Northern Arizona received a lone first-place vote and is picked to finish third in the poll. Northern Colorado was picked to finish fourth and Montana was picked fifth.
 
Sacramento State was picked seventh, Southern Utah eighth, Big Sky newcomer Idaho was picked ninth, Eastern Washington was picked 10th and North Dakota 11th.
 
ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster returns both of its 2013 top scorers in Nicole Carter (nine goals), and Lexi Tucker (eight goals). Also back is leading goalkeeper Abi Yanke who had a 0.61 goal against average and an 8-3-3 record in 2013. The Griffins finished 2013 with an 11-7-3 record including a 1-0 win in the Frontier Conference championship match against tournament host Rocky Mountain.

Westminster lost in the first-round of the NAIA national tournament to Westmont (Calif.) on penalty kicks after the match ended in a 2-2 tie. Westmont went on to lose in the NAIA national championship match.

The Griffins are coached by Tony LeBlanc who is in his eighth season. LeBlanc has a 71-56-10 record at Westminster.