MISSOULA, Montana – Idaho State women's soccer put together a tremendous postseason performance Wednesday morning, battling third-seeded Northern Arizona for 110 minutes before falling 3-2 in a penalty-kick shootout following a 1-1 draw in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament at South Campus Stadium.
The sixth-seeded Bengals went toe-to-toe with the Lumberjacks throughout regulation and two overtime periods, matching Northern Arizona in shots and putting 10 attempts on goal. Idaho State showed tremendous fight and resilience, overcoming a second-half deficit to force overtime and push the match all the way to penalty kicks.
After a scoreless first half, Northern Arizona broke through just 43 seconds into the second period. Micala Boex finished a pass from Valerie Llamas and Ava Hinske to give the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead.
The Bengals responded with determination, continuing to pressure the Northern Arizona defense and create opportunities in the attacking third. Their persistence paid off in the 71st minute when Gracie East found the back of the net at 70:23 off of a deep free-kick opportunity, to bring Idaho State level at 1-1.
With the match even, both teams continued to battle through the final 20 minutes of regulation. Neither side could find a go-ahead goal, sending the contest into overtime. The Bengals remained composed and continued to generate chances across both 10-minute periods, refusing to back down against the third-seeded Lumberjacks.
Idaho State finished with 20 shots, including 10 on goal, nearly matching Northern Arizona's 21 shots and nine on goal. East led the Bengals with five shots, four of which were on frame. Stephanie Roper put both of her attempts on goal, while Emma Casenave added three shots, including two on target, and Saydree Cooke finished with four attempts.
Goalkeeper Aliya Garrett proved why she was selected as one of this season's Big Sky Top-Newcomers of the Year, delivering an impressive performance, making eight saves across all 110 minutes to keep the Bengals within reach throughout the afternoon. Idaho State also matched Northern Arizona with five corner kicks, further showing how closely contested the match really was.
After neither team found a winner through two overtime periods, the match moved to a penalty-kick shootout. Samantha Fenske converted Idaho State's opening attempt, and Amanda Brayton also found the net. Northern Arizona converted three of its five attempts, however, earning the 3-2 shootout decision and advancing to the next round.
Although the result brought the Bengals' season to a close, Idaho State delivered a strong showing on the conference tournament stage, pushing one of the tournament's top seeds to the final kick after 110 minutes of determined play.
The Bengals finished the 2026 season with a 4-9-6 overall record and a 2-4-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play. Their tournament appearance was the program's first since 2023.
