POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State women's soccer had their strongest offensive showing of the young 2026 season Thursday night, scoring three first-half goals before battling UNLV to a 3-3 draw at Davis Field. Marking the first time the Bengals have scored 3 goals in the first half since August 15th, 2017 against Chicago State.

Saydree Cooke and Gracie East led the Bengal attack with one goal and one assist apiece, while Lacie Poll found the back of the net for the second time this season. Samantha Fenske also added an assist as Idaho State finished with a 16-9 advantage in shots and put seven attempts on goal.

The Bengals came out firing from the opening whistle, putting together what head coach Dustin Downey called their best half of soccer this season.

"I thought we put together a fantastic first 45 minutes," Downey said. "Three goals in 45 minutes was spectacular. I thought we were playing really good soccer, crosses, shots, getting hungry, creating chances."

Cooke was at the center of the offensive surge, finding the back of the net while also setting up another Bengal goal. The fifth-year forward finished the night with three points on two shots.

After Idaho State generated plenty of opportunities over its opening matches of the season, Cooke said the Bengals have begun to find more success by focusing less on individual chances and more on creating opportunities together.

"We had a lot of shots the last few games, but I think there was a lot of mental frustration playing into the missing of goals, myself included," Cooke said. "This game we kind of just said, 'Let's play more as a team. Let's try to connect. Let's get easier shots.' We got less shots this game than our games previous, but we capitalized on those."

East also delivered a career night from the Bengal back line. The defender scored on one of her two shots on goal and added an assist, matching Cooke with three points in the draw.

Downey praised East's ability to make an impact on both ends of the field.

"Gracie East steps up from the back, takes a few dribbles, boom, back of the net," Downey said. "And she got the assist to Saydree. We're seeing a lot from that group."

Poll added Idaho State's third goal of the night, continuing her strong start to the season. After scoring the Bengals' first goal of the year against Snow College, Poll struck again Thursday for her second goal of the 2026 campaign.

Idaho State carried a three-goal performance into halftime, but UNLV worked its way back into the match over the final 45 minutes. The Rebels ultimately pulled even, with two of their three goals coming from the penalty spot.

East said the Bengals were pleased with the way they opened the match but know they need to carry that same level through the full 90 minutes.

"I think that was one of our best first halves played this season," East said. "We brought all the energy. We set the tone. We were scoring goals, so I think that was really fun, but we just have to keep it going through the second half."

Despite settling for the draw, Idaho State once again produced at a high level offensively. The Bengals outshot UNLV 16-9, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal, while holding a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.

"We spend a lot of time on our offense, and I think if people watch us play, they can see a certain style of how we want to attack and how we want to get to goal," Downey said. "It's proven to be effective."

Stephanie Roper led Idaho State with four shots, while Cooke, East and Devree Bell each recorded two. Samantha Fenske added an assist and put her lone shot on frame.

The three-goal performance continued an offensive turnaround for the Bengals. After scoring once over their first two matches, Idaho State has now put five goals in the back of the net over its last two, following Sunday's 2-0 road win at CSU Bakersfield.

For Cooke, that improvement has come from the Bengals beginning to connect as a unit rather than forcing opportunities individually.

"It wasn't individual performances," Cooke said. "It was, how can we string together goals as a team, I think that was the difference."
 

Bengal Bites

• Lacie Poll scored her second goal of the 2026 season and has now scored a team high two on the season.
• Samantha Fenske recorded her second assist on the season.
• Idaho State outshot UNLV 16-9 and held a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal.
• Stephanie Roper led the Bengals with four shots.
• Idaho State has generated 87 shots through its first four matches.

Up Next

Idaho State hits the road Sunday for an in-state matchup with Boise State. The Bengals and Broncos played to a 1-1 draw last season at Davis Field, and Idaho State will look to carry its recent offensive production into another tough early-season test.

For Cooke, Sunday's matchup will also carry a unique family connection as she takes the field against her sister, Tambree, while fellow Bengal Devree Bell joins in the family matchup.

"We've talked a lot about how grateful we are to even have this opportunity," Cooke said. "I have not heard of many people to have three sisters play, especially on the same pitch at one time. We're all doing our thing, and we all know we'll give it our all regardless, and we're family at the end of the day."