Bengals’ soccer season ends with PK loss as fall sports seasons rage on

POCATELLO — The Idaho State Bengals soccer team saw its season come to an end Wednesday with a Big Sky Tournament penalty kick shootout loss to Northern Arizona.

Elsewhere on campus, the football team moved up in the FCS rankings following a loss to Montana State; the cross-country teams enjoyed a successful conference championship, and now look forward to the NCAA Mountain Regionals; the volleyball team has bounced back from a three-match slide with back-to-back, including one over conference-leading Utah Tech; and the golf team carded one of the best performances in program history to conclude its fall season.

Here is what you may have missed recently in ISU sports:

Soccer

The Bengals (4-9-6, 2-4-3) qualified for the Big Sky Soccer Championship, entering the six-team tournament as the 6-seed scheduled for a first-round showdown with No. 3 Northern Arizona (8-6-6, 4-2-3).

After finishing regulation and two overtime periods tied 1-1 on the strength of a Gracie East goal in the 71st minute, Idaho State and Northern Arizona went into penalty kicks, where ISU fell 3-2.

The Bengals got contributions all season from a trio of local products, including team points-leader Saydree Cooke, a Highland High School alum.

Cooke, a fifth-year senior, scored three goals, tying her for the team lead, while assisting on four more for 10 total points. Freshman Devree Bell, also from Highland, scored a goal while appearing in 17 games, logging nine starts and 762 minutes. Pocatello High School grad Kellie Christensen appeared in 15 games, including one start.

cross country

The men’s team finished the Oct. 30 Big Sky Championship in Flagstaff, Ariz., sixth out of 11 teams, clearing seventh-place Idaho by 19 points.

Senior Jacob DeTemple was ISU’s top male finisher, posting a season-best 25:07.9 for 27th place.

The women’s team finished seventh, led by an Idaho Falls High School alum, senior Allie Lemons, and a Rockland High School alum, junior Kamber Scott. Lemons, ISU’s top finisher, came in 35th with a time of 17:43.33. Directly behind her was Scott, who crossed the line at 17:45.7.

ISU now shifts its focus to the NCAA Mountain Regionals in Albuquerque, N.M., which is scheduled for Friday.

Golf

The Bengals carded a team score of 902 (+38), the fourth-best 54-hole score in program history according to Idaho State Athletics, at the Golf Iconic Classic in Las Cruces, N.M., on Oct. 14.

Freshman Erica Wang, junior Venus Yong and freshman Sarah Chen each finished the three-round tournament with matching eight-over 224 scores, tying the trio for 42nd individually.

The Big Sky golf season now goes into winter break, with the spring session to pick up in early March. The Bengals will host the Canyon Clash at Twin Falls’ Blue Lakes Country Club on March 28.

Volleyball

With two weeks — four matches — left in the regular season, the Bengals (17-9, 9-5) sit in fourth place in the Big Sky standings, hot on the heels of Northern Colorado (14-11, 10-4) and Northern Arizona (17-9, 10-4).

With back-to-back home wins, over last-place Southern Utah (1-24, 0-15) and first-place Utah Tech (21-4, 14-1), ISU now goes on the road for two matches, at Portland State (13-12, 9-5) on Thursday and Northern Arizona on Saturday, before returning to Reed Gym to close out the regular season next week.

A pair of freshmen from Madison High School have been a big part of Idaho State’s success.

Libero Aspen Boice was recently named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week, recording 43 digs (5.38 per set) last week. Outside hitter Mia Walsh was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week, after scoring 33 kills (4.13 per set) last week.

This is the third time in program history in which ISU players swept the conference’s weekly awards, according to the Idaho State Volleyball Facebook page.

Football

The Bengals (6-4, 3-4) fell just short of a home upset over reigning FCS National Champion Montana State (9-1, 6-1), dropping a 28-26 triple-overtime thriller.

Despite the loss to the No. 3-ranked Bobcats, ISU moved up in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25, from 22nd to 21st.

The Bengals are back on the road this week, visiting the Montana Grizzlies (7-3, 5-2) for a nationally broadcast game, scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. They will be back at home on Nov. 21, for a senior day Potato State Rivalry showdown with Idaho (5-5, 5-2).