Idaho State Soccer Hosts Missouri State to Open the 2015 Season

Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State soccer team opens the regular season with a home match against Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State Friday, Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. at Davis Field. ISU returns seven starters and 11 letterwinners from last year's squad which made a spectacular post-season run to the Big Sky Championship.

Among the returners are sophomore Maria Sanchez, junior Katherine Roberts and senior Lauren Bermudez who all earned Big Sky honorable mention nods in 2014. Sanchez, who represented Mexico this summer in both the World Cup and Pan American Games, led the conference in assists last season and was second on the team to Big Sky Offensive MVP Amanda Ellsworth in goals with seven.

Head Coach Allison Gibson enters her 10th season at the helm of the ISU program and has compiled a school-record 69 wins during her tenure.

LAST MATCH: IDAHO STATE DEFEATS IDAHO STATE ALUMNI IN LONE PRESEASON SCRIMMAGE
Sanchez tallied the only goal in last Saturday's scrimmage against the Idaho State Alumni to give the Bengals the 1-0 win in their only preseason scrimmage.

The Bengals faced a quality adversary in this year's alumni squad that featured 15 players from the 2010 to 2014 seasons. The alums controlled the first eight minutes of play, recording three shots in the first 7:47. Idaho State was able to gain control for the remainder of the first half and allowed the alums only one shot to its five.

In the second half, the Bengals took 17 total shots to the alums six. With 11:06 remaining in the game, Sanchez connected on a shot from 10 yards out for the unassisted game-winning goal.

BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL: BENGALS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH
Idaho State was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Conference this season. The Bengals finished the 2014 season in fifth place but made an impressive run to the championship of the Big Sky tournament. ISU dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Northern Arizona in the championship match.

Northern Arizona edged out Montana for the top spot in the preseason poll. Both teams received 93 points, but NAU snagged five first-place votes to Montana's four, earning the Lumberjacks the first place pick.

Portland State was picked to finish third with 74 points, while Weber State was picked fourth, Northern Colorado fifth, Eastern Washington seventh, Sacramento State eighth, Idaho ninth, Southern Utah 10th and North Dakota 11th.

ABOUT MISSOURI STATE
Missouri State finished the 2014 season 7-10-2 overall with a 2-3-1 record in the Missouri Valley Conference to tie for fourth place. They return 18 letterwinners including nine starters and four all-conference selections from last year's squad that reached the semifinals of the MVC Women's Soccer Championship. The Bears have nine seniors on the roster for 2015 including All-MVC selections Alix Opfer and Molly Brewer. Brewer is out for a minimum of six weeks after suffering a broken tibia in practice early last week.

Missouri State has played three exhibition games this preseason, losing a 2-1 decision to Saint Louis and defeating both Arkansas State and Drury with identical 2-0 scores. The Bears arrive in Pocatello for their season opener and first non-conference road game of the season.

Head Coach Rob Brewer has been the only coach for the Bears in their 19 seasons and enters his 20th year with a 173-155-43 overall record at Missouri State.