Ellsworth Hat-Trick Sparks ISU to 5-4 Victory Over Hawai'i

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POCATELLO, Idaho- Amanda Ellsworth became the second Idaho State soccer player in program history to tally a hat trick and the Idaho State soccer program rallied from two goal deficits twice to beat Hawai'i, 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Davis Field.

The Bengals improved to 3-2 while Hawai'i dropped to 3-5. The nine goals between the two teams was a school record for the most combined goals in a game vs. a Division I opponent.

"The most important thing is we get the win but besides that to go down 2-0 and 4-2 and to fight back speaks volumes for the fight and the never say die attitude that we work so hard to instill in our team," Idaho State coach Allison Gibson said. "Coming off a 5-1 loss to them last year it was so awesome to get this one back. The kids wanted this so badly."

The Rainbow Wahine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the match.

The next eight minutes belonged to the Bengals as Katherine Roberts scored on a header from Madeline Gochnour at the 10:42 mark and Ellsworth tied the game at two on a penalty kick three minutes later.

"We stuck to the game plan," Gibson said. "Going into it I knew we were going to give up goals. I kept telling the team the whole time to not take your foot off the gas pedal because the second they do we will give one up. Everything we did had to be 100 percent all the way through."

Hawai'i led 3-2 at halftime and 4-2 11 minutes into the second half.

The ISU offense then came alive to rally for the victory. Maria Sanchez scored a goal in the 64th minute on a follow from a deflection from UH goalkeeper Erica Young.

Ellsworth scored her second goal of the game in the 75th minute when she dribbled from midfield and fired a shot from the left side of the field, inside the 18.

The game-winning goal came when Maria Sanchez hit Ellsworth running down the middle of the field. Ellsworth took the shot inside the 18 in the 84th minute.

"I don't know if we have ever done that in my tenure here to come back from a two-goal deficit twice in a game," Gibson said. "I am so proud of them."

Chantel Kim is the only other Bengal to record a hat-trick as she had three goals vs. Eastern Washington on Oct. 22, 2006. Ellsworth also became the third person in program history to tally six-points in a game.

 Idaho State returns to the field September 18 for a game at Cal State Fullerton. The Bengals then play at San Diego State on Sept. 21. ISU's next home match is Oct. 3 vs. North Dakota.