Pocatello, ID - All things have to come to an end, but that doesn't make it any easier when it does.
Idaho State Soccer was still in play to make a postseason berth. Sitting at 2-8-5, the Bengals needed a few things to happen to slide into that sixth spot, but the chance was there.
The mother of all challenges lay in front of them, however, in the form of the Montana Grizzlies, who, after toppling Weber State 3-0 in a match that concluded just 30 minutes ago at the time of this writing, have secured their second consecutive Big Sky regular season championship.
While the 0-2 final in favor of the Griz will give off certain implications, the Bengals showed from the first minute that they were undeterred by the lopsided matchup on paper.
Taking on a team with a historically high-flying offense, the hosts fought tooth and nail to outs-hoot the visitors 22-21, with a balanced ISU attack recording 11 shots in each half to UM's 14 and 7.
The shooting was, for the most part, on point as well. The Bengals put eleven shots on goal and tested the Griz defense all day long, forcing sophomore Bayliss Flynn to make some highlight-reel shoestring saves.
Trinity Hale recorded seven saves of her own of the nine shots on goal she faced, but it was an early strike in the first half and a late dagger in the second to uplift Montana over Idaho State.
With that game in the books, the fate of the Bengals' playoff hopes was in the hands of their Sunday foe, Northern Arizona. If the Jacks were to fall to Weber State on Friday, Sunday's match would serve as a play-in for the sixth and final seed in the Big Sky Tourney.
Ultimately, this would not be the case, as a 2-1 NAU victory in Ogden secured them the spot then and there, meaning that the Lumberjacks' Sunday skirmish in Pocatello would serve as the Bengals' season finale.
Despite this, ISU left everything on the pitch for the final 90 minutes of the season. The match began with a special ovation for senior Rachel Fullmer, who had missed her final season with an injury. Fullmer's teammates had her back all season long, as evidenced by the black armbands they wore in every match that read "RF #21," her initials and jersey number.
All in all, 22 Bengals saw time on the pitch on Sunday. Among the most noteworthy performances was Marta Nieto recording five shots on offense in her final game in orange and black, as well as Sarah Maxfield playing nearly fifteen minutes in goal in the last stretch of the second half and saving all three shots on goal she faced. The freshman Maxfield also demonstrated incredible leg strength, sending two goal kicks over halfway across the pitch, one of which crossed all the way over NAU's goal line.
With this, the 2024 season has come to an end for Idaho State Soccer. The players, coaches, and representatives of Idaho State University express their gratitude for the devoted Bengal fans that supported the team all the way through.
#ROAR
