Ellsworth, Stainbrook Sweep Player of the Week Awards

POCATELLO, Idaho - The Idaho State Bengal soccer team started the season with a sweep of Boise State and Idaho, the two other Division I soccer teams' in the state of Idaho. But don't put those brooms away yet; the Bengals have also swept the first Big Sky Player of the Week awards of the 2013 season.
 
Amanda Ellsworth was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Allyson Stainbrook was named Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Returning Big Sky Co-Offensive Player of the Year,  Ellsworth started 2013 off with bang. She scored two goals and added an assist to help claim bragging rights in the Gem State.
 
In the season opener against Boise State, Ellsworth scored in the 97th minute to give the Bengals a 2-1 overtime win over the Broncos. She scored when a deflected shot from teammate Zaessja Madamba found her open right in front of the goal. Ellsworth sent the ball into the right hand corner for the goal.
 
In Sunday's game against Idaho, the Bengals and Vandals battled to a 0-0 tie for the first 39 minutes of the match. That changed when Ellsworth drove into the box and sent a pass over the head of a defender to teammate Jessica Sanchez. Sanchez then sent a dribbling shot into the corner for the first goal of her Bengal career.
 
Just minutes later, Lia Margolis found Ellsworth streaking to the goal with a centering pass. Her header cleared the goalkeeper's hands for her second goal of the weekend and the season.

"Amanda continues to be a driving force in our offensive attack," Head Coach Allison Gibson said. "She is a player that works very hard to create opportunities for herself as well as those around her which she displayed this weekend."

Stainbrook, an All-Big Sky second-team player in 2012, set the tone for a defense that gave up just one goal in 187 minutes of soccer over the weekend.
 
Stainbrook's presence on the back line was key to holding Boise State and Idaho to a combined 7 shots on goal.
 
The senior was also a catalyst in the Bengal offense. She was a part of nearly every Bengal offensive drive and even tallied four shots on goal against Idaho on Sunday.

"Ally has taken her game to a completely new level this season," Gibson said. "She is playing  huge roles for us as captain, center back, and an on and off the field true leader.  Ally has a freedom to her game due to her innate ability to read the game and make things happen that other people may not even see."