Pocatello, ID - On a chilly night at Davis Field, Idaho State Soccer hosted the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in a midweek clash between a Big Sky mainstay and a former institution that departed for the WAC in 2022.
In a match that went back and forth all night, the scoreless final was not indicative of the slugfest that took place, as ISU ripped off eight shots compared to Southern Utah's four in the first half, and 16 to 11 overall by the time the clock hit final zeroes.Â
Trinity Hale continued a strong defensive campaign, recording her fourth shutout in seven matches in her first season as a starter. She came into the match leading or tying for best in the conference in save percentage, shutouts per game, and average goals allowed.
Mary Za was the offensive leader for the Bengals with four total shots, backed up by Daphne Egelhoff and Samantha Esparza with three each. The shootout was spread across the roster as all seven of ISU's shots on goal came from different players. The Bengals had a made goal undone by a costly offsides penalty in the first half, and the Thunderbirds returned the favor with the same in the second.Â
The match places the Bengals at 1-3-3 with two non-conference games to play. ISU will hit the road on Sunday, September 15, for Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Utes at 4:00pm, and will return to Davis Field on Thursday, September 19, 2024, against the Seattle University Redhawks.
