BOISE, Idaho – Idaho State women's soccer closed out the weekend Sunday afternoon with a 1-3 loss to Boise State at the Boas Soccer Complex.
Saydree Cooke provided the Bengals' goal late in the second half, finishing off an assist from Samantha Fenske in the 88th minute. The match also provided a unique moment for the Bell family, as Idaho State's Cooke and Devree Bell shared the field with their sister, Tambree Bell, of Boise State.
Boise State struck first in the 19th minute. Sophie Schmautz put the Broncos in front at the 18:52 mark, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage that they carried into halftime.
Idaho State goalkeeper Hannah Wieler helped keep the Bengals within striking distance throughout the opening 45 minutes. Wieler made three saves in the first half, including two stops before the midway point of the period.
The Broncos added to their lead quickly after halftime. Campbell Wilson scored in the 50th minute before Schmautz added her second of the afternoon just over two minutes later, with Wilson providing the assist, to put Boise State ahead 3-0.
Despite the deficit, Idaho State continued to battle and kept the Broncos off the board for the remainder of the match. Aliya Garrett took over in goal for the second half and recorded three saves, giving the Bengal goalkeeping duo six stops on the afternoon.
The Bengals continued searching for a breakthrough and were rewarded in the closing minutes.
After checking back into the match in the 86th minute, Cooke needed less than two minutes to make an impact. Fenske set up the fifth-year forward, who found the back of the net at the 87:16 mark to cut the Boise State advantage to 3-1. It marked Cooke's second consecutive match with a goal after she recorded a goal and an assist in Thursday night's 3-3 draw against UNLV.
The assist continued a productive start to the season for Fenske. The Bengal forward has now recorded an assist in each of Idaho State's last two matches after also contributing one against UNLV, and it is her 3rd of the season.
Sunday's matchup also carried special significance beyond the final score. Cooke and Devree Bell had the opportunity to share a collegiate field with their sister, Tambree Bell, a forward for Boise State.
Tambree entered for the Broncos in the 42nd minute while Devree was already on the field for Idaho State, giving the sisters an opportunity to compete against one another in the first half. Tambree returned in the 62nd minute, while Cooke was on the field for the Bengals, allowing all sides of the family matchup to take part in the afternoon.
Cooke had spoken about the significance of the opportunity following Thursday's match against UNLV.
"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."
Boise State finished with a 15-6 advantage in shots and put nine attempts on goal compared to Idaho State's one. The Bengals and Broncos each earned three corner kicks, while Idaho State's Wieler and Garrett combined for six saves.
Bengal Bites
- Cooke has scored in back-to-back matches.
- Samantha Fenske assisted Cooke's goal, giving her an assist in back-to-back matches.
- Hannah Wieler and Aliya Garrett split time in goal, with each recording three saves.
Up Next
Idaho State returns continues their non-conference slate with two more road matches next week. The Bengals will first travel to Omaha, Nebraska to face off against Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday, September 3rd, followed by a trip down to Dallas, Texas against an ACC opponent in SMU on Sunday, September 6th.
