Idaho State Kicks Off Big Sky Play Against EWU and Idaho

POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State women's soccer continues on the road this week, for a two-match trip, beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, against EWU at 4:30 p.m. MT before traveling to Moscow to face the Vandals on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2:00 p.m. MT. 

These matchups mark the Bengals initial Big Sky Conference test and their first in-state rivalry game of the 2026 season. Idaho State enters the week 2-5-2 compared to the nearly identical records of EWU at 6-2-1 and Idaho at 6-2-2. 

Idaho State is ranked third in the conference for shots per game averaging 13.78. Both matches will feature teams that consistently generate offensive opportunities, with Eastern averaging 12.13 shots per game placing them fourth in the conference, while Idaho is averaging 15.67 ranking first in the conference and 62nd in the nation.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Idaho State at Eastern
Date: Thursday, Oct. 1
Time: 4:30 p.m. MT
Location: Cheney, Washington
Stream: https://www.espn.com/watch/catalog/99ac5c2f-b082-440c-bf89-57b546f8b4d2/big-sky-conference#bucketId=29461&sourceCollection=Browse_by_Conference 
LiveStats: https://isubengals.com/sports/womens-soccer

Idaho State at Idaho
Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Time: 2:00 p.m. MT
Location: Moscow, Idaho
Stream: https://www.espn.com/watch/catalog/99ac5c2f-b082-440c-bf89-57b546f8b4d2/big-sky-conference#bucketId=29461&sourceCollection=Browse_by_Conference
LiveStats: https://isubengals.com/sports/womens-soccer

Series History

Eastern Washington

Thursday will mark the 30th all-time meeting between Idaho State and Eastern Washington, with the Eagles holding a slight 15-13-1 advantage in the series. 

Recent results:

• 09/28/2025 - at Eastern - L, 0-2

• 10/17/2024 - vs. Eastern - L, 0-2

• 09/21/2023 - vs. Eastern - W, 3-2

• 09/22/2022 - at Eastern - L, 0-1

• 09/24/2021 - vs. Eastern - L, 1-3

The Eagles lead the series 10-4-0 in Cheney, while the Bengals lead 8-5-1 at Davis Field and 1-0-0 in a neutral setting. 

Idaho

Sunday will mark the 27th all-time meeting between Idaho State and their long-time rivals, with Idaho holding a 14-7-5 advantage in the series.

• 09/25/2025 - vs. Idaho - T, 0-0

• 10/20/2024 - at Idaho - L, 0-4

• 09/24/2023 - vs. Idaho - L, 0-4

• 09/25/2022 - at Idaho - L, 0-1

• 09/26/2021 - vs. Idaho - L, 0-1

The Bengals are searching for their first win over the Vandals since 2019, when Idaho State came away with the 2-1 victory at Davis Field. 

Players to Watch - Idaho State Bengals

• #1 Saydree Cooke - Cooke leads Idaho State with seven points totaling two goals and three assists through nine matches. She also leads the Bengals with 21 shots. 

• #16 Lacie Poll - Poll also has two goals, with just six shots taken. Her four points tie with Roper for third on the team. 

• #19 Samantha Fenske - Fenske ranks second on the team with six points including two goals and two assists through nine matches. She leads the team with 8/17 shots on goal and has scored both of the lone goals recorded by the Bengals in the last three games. 

• #21 Stephanie Roper - Roper ranks second on the team with 20 shots and 7 shots on goal. She is tied with Poll for points on the team, with her four points consisting of one goal and two assists. 

Quick Scout - EWU Eagles (6-2-1)

Eastern enters Thursday's matchup 6-2-1 coming off a 2-1 victory against Oregon St. The Eagles started off their season strong with five consecutive wins against Mt. Royal, Bucknell, UIC, Western Illinois, and CSU Bakersfield, four of which were shutouts.  

The Eagles have outscored their opponents 13-8 and have a 54-34 advantage in saves. EWU leads the Big Sky Conference with a save percentage of 0.875 ranking 12th in the nation. They are also second in conference for shutout percentage and saves per game, ranking 55th and 29th nationally, respectively. 

EWU ranks third in the Big Sky for corner kicks per game (4.75), scoring offense (1.38), goal differential (4) and total goals (11). The Eagles points per game (3.13) and shots per game (12.13) ranks fourth in the conference. 

Mia Miconi leads the Eagles with three goals and 9/15 shots on goal. Deanna Montero, Ella Hyde, and Delaney Deckett tie for second on the team with two goals each. Eight of the Eagles are responsible for their 11 goals giving EWU a wide variety of offensive attackers. 

Goalkeeper Payton Hyde ranks first in conference with a 0.875 save percentage, 13th nationally. She also ranks second in the Big Sky in saves per game (6.13), shutouts (4), and total saves (49) placing her 21st, 33rd, and 28th in the nation. 

Quick Scout - Idaho Vandals (6-2-2)

Idaho enters Sunday's matchup 6-2-2 with their most recent games resulting in a 1-1 tie vs. Gonzaga and a 2-0 win at UC Davis. The Vandals started their season with two shutout wins against Washington St.(3-0) and CSUN (1-0). Their first loss was 0-2 against Hawaii before going on a triple shutout winning streak (1-0) vs. CSU Bakersfield, South Dakota, and Grand Canyon. 

The Vandals have made a strong showing, particularly on offense, outscoring their opponents 11-5, ranking second in conference with a +6 goal differential, along with a staggering 150-79 advantage in shots. Idaho also has an impressive 0.427 shots on goal percentage (64/150). 

Idaho is first in the Big Sky in corner kicks per game (5.78), shots per game (15.67, shots on goal per game (7.00), and shutout percentage (0.667) nationally ranking 77th, 62nd, 68th, and 14th, respectively. The Vandals are third in the conference for assists per game (1.11), points per game (3.33), and save percentage (0.826) which ranks 55th nationally. 

The Vandals have a well-balanced attacking team led by Alyssa Hamilton with two goals, two assists, and 8/12 shots on goal. Payton Oelkers and Hallie Prinos-Grumbach follow closely behind Hamilton with two goals and one assist each. Calli Chiarelli has also contributed two goals to the Vandals offense. 

Georgia Whitehead leads the team in shots (24), while Makenna Stuart has the most shots on goal (11/18). Overall the Vandals have eight players in double digits for shots taken this season. 

In goal, Paula Flores is first in the conference for goalie minutes played (810:00), goals against average (0.444), and shutouts (6), ranking 74th, 17th, and 4th in the nation. 

Bengal Bites

• Idaho State has a 40-32 advantage in saves vs. their opponents. 

• The Bengals rank third in the Big Sky in shots per game (13.78).

• The Bengals rank fourth in conference in assists per game (0.89), scoring offense (1.11), total assists (8), total goals (10), and total points (28). 

• Saydree Cooke ranks 11th in program history with 112 career shots.

• Cooke also ranks 6th in program history in minutes played (2907:53).

• Cooke leads the team with two goals, three assists, and 21 shots. 

• Samantha Fenske has two goals, two assists, and 8/17 shots on goal throughout the Bengals nine matches. 

• Aliya Garrett is fourth in the conference in shutouts (2). 

Up Next  

Following the two-match road trip, the Bengals will return home to Davis Field to face Southern Utah University on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m. and Utah Tech on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:00 p.m., continuing through their Big Sky Conference schedule. 

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