I Will Will Have Posts Up Tomorrow After the Holidays, Myaw

A quick note to the throngs of Bengal fans:

I will regale stories to all about Women's Basketball's fun trip down to Texas tomorrow, after stuffing myself with turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and Thanksgiving FOOTBAW. Our Women's Basketball correspondent, Czar Nicholas II, happily reports that they played extremely well and that the 1-2 record down there doesn't reveal just how much fright they put into everyone (one of them, the Longhorns, are ranked #16 in the nation). A quick mention before tomorrow's official WWIS post is that Chelsea Pickering, a native of the Lone Star State, gave the locals one helluva show in every game (she was at the very SOURCE of her Texas-given powers, myaw).


Your Women's Basketball Correspondent, His Royal Majesty and Czar of All the Russias...Joe Schad has NOTHING on this guy

Another quick note: as our WBB Correspondent is Czar Nicholas II, we have deemed it tragically ironic to have a Communist (and German!) march as the victory march for WBB. As such, we have decided to commission the "Preobrajensky March" as the Victory March for Idaho State, in honor of our correspondent, instead of the East German "NVA Parademarsch"!



Also, for those interested, we turn to our Volleyball Correspondent, the Duke of Wellington!

*Enter Sir Arthur Wellesley*

A Good Evening to you all, readers! I happily remind you of volleyball's Big Sky Tournament play in Portland come Friday. We are the 3rd seed, and per tournament format we will be facing Northern Colorado, the #2 seed and current defending conference champions. The winner shall face whoever comes out alive from the Portland State-Montana battle (#1 and #4 seeds, respectively)

*Ahem* For those who were not clear on the setup, the seeding is as follows, broken down for your pleasurable convenience:

#1 Seed: Portland State Vikings
#2 Seed: Northern Colorado Bears
#3 Seed: Your Most Heroic Idaho State Bengals of the Royal Orange Fusiliers
#4 Seed: Montana Grizzlies

That's all for now, good readers. And if you're looking for updates on Men's Basketball, I happily direct you to the Idaho State Journal! Ta!

Strong Second Half Propels ISU to VICTORAH over Air Force

First off, congrats to my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes for pulling out one clutch play after another to beat Iowa and remain alive for the BigTen Championship and a potential at-large BCS Bid!

Women's basketball came back and fought their way in the second half to beat Air Force 68-58, going into the half with a 4 point deficit and turning it into a 10 point lead by the 7 minute mark. Air Force in the first half rolled the Bengals up and asserted dominance, eventually building a 23-13 lead that went to a 12-point lead before ISU clawed their way back into the game to make it 37-33 at half time. ISU came back after the halftime break a more focused squad, thanks to adjustments put into place by Coach Sobolewski. In his own words:

"We made a defensive adjustment where we switched every screen and we were able to stay in front of the penetration. I think we misjudged how much they would drive to the basket compared to how much they would take the outside shot"

ISU, with those adjustments, roared in the second half with a great defensive show, holding Air Force to a 30.8% shooting percentage on an 8/26 shooting performance while firing on all cylinders, outscoring the Falcons 35-21. That performance included an 11-0 run as well, stopping Air Force for 3 minutes while scoring those 11points.

Intangibles and Other Stuff

Victory March!

Women's Basketball will have a victory march for themselves, just like Volleyball and Soccer do! In honor of their defense-oriented schemes and how tough they are, the team will have the "NVA (National Volks Armee) Parademarsch", of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany)



Cydney Horton Rocks the Block

Ms. Horton blocked 2 shots Thursday night, and it's her second game where she has posted a block or more. Here's to her keeping that streak up!

Not Much of a Holiday Season

ISU will spend this Thanksgiving not eating turkey and pie, but rather playing 5 games in 8 days. They left today to go down to Texas Tech to play some Red Raiders on Sunday. Best of luck and safe travels to the team as they play in Pickering Land!

Andi Blodgett is Amazing and You are Not The itty-bitty adorable senior posted the game-high 15 points, sharing that honor with Chelsea Pickering who also had 15 points. Kudos to Spot Blodgett!

Women's Basketball: A Quick Recap Thus Far

Amid the celebrations of ISU letting Zamberlin go after a 6-38 record over 4 years with no signs of improvement except the improvement of the gaping hole in our souls, the women's basketball team has been busy. Last week, as many of you recall, we beat a solid West Coast Conference team in Loyola Marymount in a very physical game, 63-55. Freshman Lindsey Reed totally went off, scoring 21 points, nabbing 8 rebounds, and getting 3 steals in her 35 shining minutes on the court. However, ISU could not carry the momentum into the game against the University of Boise, falling very flat in a 73-48 loss (where Reed was one of the few bright spots, leading ISU scorers with 14 points). The record so far stands at 1-1, and ISU looks to get back on their feet with a win against Air Force tomorrow night (where Yours Truly will give the Falcons an improvised honor guard; as they are a service academy they are deserving of one).

Well that's the recap for now, I told you it was short. Tip-off is tomorrow night at 7:05pm, in Reed Gymnasium (or, if Lindsey Reed keeps playing the way she has, it will be "Reed's" Gymnasium)

Rumors on the Wind: The Zamberlin Era is OVER!

According to the latest reports and rumors, along with some Facebook statuses from some of the players, AND with Bengalcub getting countless confirmations, the Zamberlin Era is finally over. The players, according to a few inside sources, will have an emergency meeting tomorrow.

Everyone who has been deeply concerned with the PROGRAM and the REPUTATION, and the overall direction of ISU will be very happy. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.

Final Thoughts on the Wacky Decisions of Old and Crusty Regents in Montana

News reports indicate that Montana has decided to stay in the FCS, despite having a program that has consistently dominated this level and is more than ready for the move up to Division I football.

There were three reasons for Engstrom's decision, and it's easy to translate seeing as how he's old and is reportedly a clone of former President Captain Dennison:

1) Keeping the rivalry with Montana State alive (so what if the WAC forbids going to FCS Stadiums...raise your middle fingers and do it anyway, what are they going to do? A stern warning?)

2) To compete with academic institutions with similar missions to Montana (don't ALL damn colleges have the SAME DAMN MISSION STATEMENT? To graduate and educate?)

3) He wanted to maintain the success and prestige sustained over the last 20 years (so...he wants the status quo despite the warnings all around him that the utopia desired and believed in by the Woodrow Wilson-Democracy-Loving types is a farce and cannot work in the long run)

Seriously, this whole decision, in my opinion, was short-sighted in the least politically motivated at the most, and it's showing the Good Ole Boy network and their intentions very well. They want to keep Montana and MSU in small-football forever because the Board apparently feels that they can hold back time, that they can freeze it and keep their universities where they are at for as long as they can. Kind of reminds me of the old elites after World War II. They thought they could hold their empires together despite being totally ravaged by the war, that the great independence movements could be contained and their empires forever preserved in time.

They, like President Engstrom and Montana will soon find out...were dead wrong. You should have taken this chance. Yes it would have been expensive, and it would have been painful. But you should have looked beyond the next 2 months, sir. You should have been looking at the next 15-20 years. You may never get another chance at this.

You have decided to remain frozen in time, and you will pass away as an image of glory and pride having long passed into history.

Some Quick Notes on Coverage

First off, sorry for the long hiatus. Life kind of got in the way there but it's ok because now I'm back and things have settled down (and they'll be REALLY settled next year after I obtain my degree this coming Spring).

Due to the Journal not having enough people to cover women's basketball (heh heh), I'll offer coverage the best I can.

And the best part: I'm sure as hell am not neutral :)

Anyways, Women's Basketball beat up on New Mexico Highlands last week, 65-54. Kaela Oakes, ISU's Mighty Mouse, scored a game-high 18 points, and ISU turned it up in the second half to put away the Cowgirls, who were only down by 3 at halftime. ISU made the necessary adjustments and kept the Cowgirls at bay for the rest of the game for a pleasant exhibition victorah.

ISU officially opens the campaign for Wooden Trophy Glory this Friday, at 7:05 against Loyola Marymount University. Tip off is at Reed Gym, myaw.

Soccer Finishes Season in a 2-0 Loss to Wildcats, Needs Work Internally

It's been a long time since the Koeniggratzer March has been played for soccer...and for good reason. Thanks in part to internal divisions on the team (upperclassmen angry at lower classmen getting more playing time and playing certain new players over established players, freshmen thinking they own the campus despite a losing record and thinking they are better than they are...) and that we apparently bought into the hype that we were supposed to win the title after hosting the tournament, ISU finishes far from where we were supposed to be.

ISU finished the season yesterday with a 6-11-2 record (1-5-1 BSC) with Weber State winning 2-0. ISU was outshot 19-7, with Jessie Baddley assisting on one of those goals (to Ari Wood) and taking 7 of her own. Fouls were relatively equal with ISU having 14 to Weber's 13. ISU had 7 saves to Weber's 3, which makes sense because we were getting shot at almost 3 times more than our own shooting output.

I could write more but I'm not going to out of sheer disappointment with the team to not put ego and petty bullshit aside for the greater good, and that it's a lax Saturday night and I have other stuff to write about (midterms are finally over so I can focus more on my blog hyah myaw).

Soccer Loses to Northern Colorado, Shows Complacency

Complacency really DOES come before calamity...look it up, ISU

ISU Soccer lost to Northern Colorado, 3-1 yesterday in what many described as a flat game for the Bengals. Now, I wasn't at the game because I went to be with my rugby boys in a crucial match versus Utah State (which we won after a great second half of play, 22-12, thereby making us 5-0-1 on the season). But I did talk to a lot of people who were at the game, including Bob Devine (ISU Voice Sportswriter and superhuman soccer master), and what happened was all too predicatable considering this year's edition of the Bengals.

ISU tied the game on a Lauren Ryan goal (her first of the season, 7th of her career) and then, as the website describes, we got very complacent and figured Northern Colorado would roll over (because apparently we're SO intimidating with a 5-7-2 record). One small problem: while we decided to let up, the Bears decided to play like...well, a team that doesn't take things for granted. Quoth Feldmarschall Gibson:

"They fought for everything. They ran through everything, they put pressure on us every time we touched the ball. They were playing 100 percent and we were playing 50 percent...When they would get the ball we would react slowly. They would pass it and we would react, as opposed to seeing the play going up and challenging the player for the ball and that's where we were completely off today."

If you want to check the stats of the game, go to the ISU Website hyah. I would cover them here but there is something that needs to be said about what may turn out to be one of the biggest disappointments at ISU this fall.

I came in this fall seeing a soccer team that was to be one of the best in recent memory. This squad was to be the one to win the conference championship, prove the pollsters wrong (again) and was being looked at as the first team to break through and make a run in the NCAA Tournament. And with a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the squad, this was to be the beginning of a long period of Bengal rule over the Big Sky, ruling it with an iron fist and completely under our heels.

Problem: The squad, from what I could gather over the past 2 and a half months, bought into the hype. Every day I would (and still can) hear the team talking and walking as if they had won the whole thing. We entered games thinking all we had to do was show up and teams would roll over (hence why we seem to start flat all the time). And then a funny thing happened when we showed up to games with that attitude: we lost.

We walk with swagger and talk smack everyday around campus. The issue isn't that, it's that we aren't backing it up on the field. A squad who is 5-7-2 overall and 0-1-1 in conference should not be talking smack at all.

What this team needs more than anything is a wake-up call. We have players who give their all every single game. But a handful of people cannot win a game in any sport. We need everyone playing at the highest level. There is no shame in running up the score, or hitting people as hard as we can. There is no shame in yellow cards, and there is no shame in not showing the fake sportsmanship that the NCAA wants you to show just for the sake of image. We need heart, not talent. We need desire, not swagger. We need to live and breathe soccer, not regard it as something to be used for status. We need to have fun again, forget the on and off-field drama and bullshit, buckle down and play the Beautiful Game.

ISU Football: Zamberlin Must Go

Yes, the music is totally appropriate. DO NOT QUESTION JEREMY SOULE

I have remained silent on the Zamberlin employment issue for a long time (out of superhuman loyalty), but now I will come out: Z has to go. I'm going to ride this thing to the end but as an ISU patriot who loves his school to death, we have to let Z go and try to salvage the what's left of the wreckage. We have to save ISU Football from the modern-day reincarnation of Luigi Cadorna, a man who never changes his plans and urges a demoralized army of soldiers forward into entrenched Austrian positions across the Isonzo.

I can remember, when I first came here, how fun the games were and all the people who wore orange and made noise, when Pocatello still had some pride in ISU and when football was competitive. I remember the student section was a fun place to be with everyone donning orange and having a great time. I remember how into the game people got and I recall how hard it was for me to move around because there were so many people who, despite the losing, were having a great time because we were competitive and the games were fun. We heckled other teams and got into shouting matches with opposing fans...in other words, to sum it all up, everything felt like a college environment.

Then, then-Athletic Director Paul Bubb decided to fire Larry Lewis with one year on his contract; fans were tired of losing all these games and we wanted a change. We gave Coach Lewis his buyout so he could chill in the Pressbox and roam around until he found another job (he is now an assistant at Colorado State). A national search was conducted and about a month before my first academic semester (I enrolled academically in Spring 2007; I had begun my ISU game attendance in the fall of 2006), we hired John Zamberlin from Central Washington. The ISU press lauded his ability to recruit locally, his willingness to work with schools with sub-par facilities, and his ability to relate with his players. ISU fans started looking up to a new era of glory, up from the massive disappointment of a 2-9 season when many were eying a deep playoff run. It was a fresh start. I myself was swept away in the enthusiasm, and pledged undying support to the cause because that's what a good fan does. I stood through thick and thin and attacked all critics, and always kept my eyes looking to a bright future.

That was 4 years ago.

Now, Holt Arena lies empty and quiet during games. There may be some rowdiness in the pre-game and the first quarter but by the 2nd quarter it disappears into the air and vanishes, not to be seen or heard again. There is so much room to run through even with the camera crews because nobody is there. The North side, once possessing a sizable fan section, is all but desolate. There is nothing to be had, and only the most loyal and devoted fans show up these days. There is no energy, only a void where pride used to be a long 4 years ago. Those 4 years have seemed like an eternity, a lost age in a way. With the rapid, insane decline of morale and pride, ISU's prospects of ever being relevant in existence are blacker than the uniforms that we now wear.

There is only one option now: we must cut our losses, bite the bullet, and drop the pilot before he crashes us into a mountain. For the greater good, he has to go. For the honor of ISU and future Bengals. We have tolerated enough.

ISU Football: PUNTNG IS WINNING Edition (or, "Hatin' on the O-Line")

A picture of the offensive line

Quick, a pop quiz: What does this picture of a sieve have to do with ISU's 32-7 soul-numbing loss to Northern Arizona yesterday?

a.) It helped our punter, David Harrington, post 340 punting yards

b.) While you won't find gold with this, you will find 6 sacks

c.) We will never have any offense at all because it can't hold anything, save for minor dirt clods

d.) All of the above

The answer of course, is "d", bonus points if you saw any offense and extra credit if you stayed the entire game (not staying will not count against your total score).

The severity of the leaks on the offensive line yesterday were so bad the little Dutch boy drowned when he tried to go plug it (only to find countless other holes that the Lumberjack Sea was flowing through). ISU had a good sized crowd today, being Homecoming and all, and instead of taking the bull by the horns and riding that sommabitch to the ground, we let it run free only to return and and knock us on our ass in front of the chick we're trying to impress. Anyways, the stats are on the ISU Football website if you really, really want to look (you're not missing anything except two glaring stats: 340 punting yards to 151 total offensive yards and 6 sacks for 38 yards).

Things You Missed Because It Hurts Too Much to Watch (we understand...*big hug*)

Royalty!

That's right, Yours Truly is Homecoming Royalty for 2010 as the Homecoming Duke. It feels good to be nobility!

Some Gems

One thing about the Idaho State Sieve is that while it doesn't produce a lot of gold, it DOES produce gems...in the form of quotes. From the ISU Website:

"I think that there was some hangover from last week, some frustration, and I think that showed today honestly..." (Read: we lost some of our manhood last week...have you seen it around here by chance? No? Okay, keep an eye out for it...)

"It shouldn't matter who's out there, our offense should go. Both of them are phenomenal athletes, both of them are great leaders." (Read: now if only the offensive line would let them...)

"We've got to have one guy step up and get that look in his eyes and take the bull by the horns" (Author's note: this is my favorite. The quarterbacks are trying their damndest. Troy Smith or Roger Staubach couldn't play with this line. Somewhere, Bo Schembechler is rolling in his grave).

The Final Score is Meaningless

32-7 is a misprint because our touchdown came in the final 2:41 of the game. So to this blog, the score is 32-0. And all is righted.

One Final Shot at Redemption

Next week, we travel to Portland State to take on the Vikings, who are strugglin' as well (but only because of playing ASU and Oregon in 3 weeks. The lone win came against UC Davis on the road, 41-33). This is ISU's last chance for a win, because we play at Montana, who is having some issues of their own (they are an unimaginable 2-2 with the losses coming at the hands of Cal Poly and Eastern Washington. Also, one of their wins, over Sac State, had to be won with a 68-yard, 5 minute drive and staving off the Hornets in a near-disastrous quarter filled with mistakes). The Griz will not overlook ISU as they have in years' past that weekend of October 9th. ISU then comes back to host conference rivals Weber State and Montana State, both of whom are doing well, and finishes with the Prostitution Game against Georgia, Sac State, and closes at The Inferno at Eastern Washington (thus enabling me to watch Ohio State-Michigan!).

The Duke of Wellington's Report from Provo, Utah

And now to our correspondent, the Duke of Wellington

Hello and good day to all! I certainly hope we are enjoying this 3-day weekend away from our schooling and other dozens of life's important details to turn our eyes to the battle front in Provo, Utah (a place far worse than St. Helena, where my nemesis Napoleon was sent) where our brave Royal Orange Fusiliers of the Black under Leutnantgeneral Chad Teichert engaged in combat with splendid effort. I shall now break them down posthaste, by game. You may find the devilish details and such at the Idaho State Athletics websites. Merely click on the right side of the page where it says "Volleyball" and find the correct headlines!

Against Cal Poly

First off, our breakdown of Cal Poly merits a rousing victory march, for it was a victory!



Victory!

We won against Cal Poly, 3-1! The sets were as follows: (26-28, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23). We lost the first game in a tight one and then roared back for 3 straight victories, all of them hard-fought!

Notable Players

In a simple breakdown, there were 5 key players in the win: Jennika Wright (12 kills, .429 attack percentage), Jaclyn Hone (12 kills, 13 digs), Sarah Carson (12 kills, .370 hitting percentage, 4 block assists, and an incredible 3 aces!) and Britta Bartschi-Rhodehouse (11 kills from 26 attacks and 3 errors, .308 hitting percentage). Jenna Proost had 16 digs at libero.

Grinding Them Down

Our brave Fusiliers gradually reduced Cal Poly's attack percentages over the match, where the Mustangs were hitting at .306 and ended up at a nadir in a .083 hitting percentage. Great effort to minimize the attack, Fusiliers!

Against the Host, BYU

We dropped a heartbreaker to the Cougars, 15-17 in the final set. We dropped the first 2 sets, battled back with 2 straight, and lost that final one due to two horrendous calls in the end that gave BYU the opportunity to seal the deal. Our stats for that grueling but excellent effort: Hone had 10 kills and 15 digs; Lori Mendenhall posted 22 assists and 11 digs; Haylee Thompson-Brock led our attack with 23 kills; and Bartschi-Rhodehouse and Carson added 10 kills apiece. Karissa LeGeaux contributed with 26 assists and the team recorded 13 blocks at the net, showing a strong defense.

And against #2 Nebraska

Our Fusiliers fell, 3-0 against Nebraska after two great efforts against Cal Poly and BYU. Thompson-Brock led the team with 9 kills (Bartschi-Rhodehouse had 8 and Carson added 5) and sophomore Katie Grajewski led with 7 digs on the defensive side of the ball; LeGeaux, Breanne Van Every and Jaclyn Hone added 5 digs each. ISU still maintains a good record at 4-2.

ISU shall be home tomorrow for a few days rest before they are to be sent out to far away Des Moines, Iowa, to protect royal interests out in that far away land.

As for me, the Duke of Wellington, I am signing off at this tremendously late hour in order to be ready for the work day. I shall report from our next destination! Ta for now, all! And again, my personal congratulations to our Royal Orange Fusiliers of the Black for their wonderful efforts against very good competition!

Rachel Strawn Saves The Day, UB To Return Home in Tears and Pissy Attitudes

Rachel is the one in white, saving the day from the Bronco hordes

(A quick note: yes, the coverage against the University of Boise is biased just a little. Why? Blatant nationalism and hatred for anything having to do with the Broncos except their volleyball and rugby teams)

Rachel Strawn, the 5'2 crazy merlin-bird, killed University of Boise soccer today when she drove home a goal off a pass from Kiley Godfrey. The gamewinner came with 6:08 remaining in the first overtime period, and left Bronco soccer fans (all 14 or 15 of them) wondering how the hell it happened and ISU fans in delirous celebration at the Brandenberger Tor with another victory in our never-ending sacred war against the University of Boise. The win gives ISU a 3-2-1 record as of myaw and it leaves UB with a 2-4-0 record on the season.

The Breakdown, as "Other Stuff You May Have Missed" is Going to be Called Just Because it Sounds All News-Like:

The Trifecta of the Young

There were 2 freshman and 1 sophomore who all hooked up on that gamewinning play that sent the Donkeys home today: 1) Allyson Stainbrook, who crossed the ball to 2) Kiley Godfrey, who set it and made a quick pass to 3) Rachel Strawn, who personally smacked Bronco keeper Liz Ruiz with a gauntlet and challenged her, and won said challenge by directing her shot past Ruiz' left side and into the net! Very exciting, no?

..."and Ad-JUSTING them!"

To quote the ISU website release because there is no better way to put it: "Idaho State's second period and overtime efforts showed a much improved Bengal squad than the first half. Idaho State implemented a 2x4x4 formation that left the Bengals scattered on the field. Boise State outshot ISU 6-3 in the first period, but after a solid halftime talk by Idaho State Head Coach Allison Gibson who helped the team understand where to plug the holes, Idaho State was off and running."

Said the Feldmarschall on the adjusting work: "We obviously switched our whole formation and our training session with it lasted all of about 10 minutes of pregame so we knew it was going to be a little hectic in the first half, we thought if we could get through it without being punished for it and get our feet under us in the first half then we could sort things out (at the half). Fortunately, we were able to come out in the second half and do a better job."

Victory March!



Stats and All That Jazz

ISU, even though we had a poor first period, ended up outshooting UB 13-8 overall. Bailey Williams continued her housekeeping duties with her 7th career shutout, saving 4 times after facing 8 shots. UB led the way in fouling 11-9 (though that's a generous number given how physical the game was) and edged us in the corner kick battle, 5-4.

100th win? Heh heh, Like Hell!

With today's epic win over UB, ISU denied the Broncos their program's 100th win. Yes, it really does sting when you can't get that commemorative beer mug with the 100th victory over your rival on it. Oh well, better luck in 100 years, Boise!

2 Bengals Named to All-Tournament Team

Your Govnah's Cup All-Tournament Team is as follows:

Rachel Strawn - Idaho State
Kelsea Godfrey - Idaho State
Chelsea Smalls - Idaho
Cassanda San - Idaho
Liz Ruiz - Boise State (Rachel Strawn is not impressed and would like the tournament officials to kindly reconsider this in light of recent and totally epic events)
Lauren Hickock - Boise State
Camille Broderick - Utah Valley
Danielle Anderson - Utah Valley

Note that Rachel is a sophomore and Kelsea is a freshman, which bodes well for ISU in the next 2-3 years.

While ISU lost to Idaho (sorry for the lack of coverage there...I'll let Bob Devine and the ISU staff cover the losses because he's better at it than I am...also, I only have so much time with my classes, rugby, and whatnot), I think we redeemed ourselves against a team (and school/fanbase, for that matter) that nobody really likes. While I have no authority or right to say so, I think I'll voice my personal feelings anyway: I think ISU needs to gel a little more and work on chemistry. I think we were too wound up for most of that game and we started to roll when we settled down. There were too many players forcing stuff that shouldn't have been forced. Soccer may be a fluid game but the truly wise will tell you that possessions matter as much in soccer as they do in rugby and football. Even if the sport is really flowing and possessions change every 5 seconds, it is crucial to never throw a ball away or kick it into some random point in midair. There is still plenty of season ahead so there is time for development for everyone.

Your Pre-Governor's Cup Propaganda

It may be an anthem of a defunct Communist regime, but what the hell ever. It's totally epic.

People of our great empire, the sword has been thrust into our hands once more! Jealous enemies beset us on all fronts, hoping to ruin our magnificent Fatherland and partition it between them! From up north, the Vandals are charging into our country, hoping to subjugate us once more, to stave off their inevitable decline! And from the west, Boise State seeks to make a name for themselves as something more than a football team with a school! We cannot allow these nations to carry out their nefarious plans! We must crush them all in our hands and in glorious combat to secure a great future where there is always radiant sun over our Fatherland, and radiant sunshine over generations of Bengals yet to be born! To arms!!!

ISU Wins UTPA Tournament, Crushes Lamar in Final

ISU won the UTPA Tournament Saturday, beating Lamar 3-1 in the tournament final! This marks the second straight year ISU has won a tournament title, where we won the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic last year to start the season. The first game saw the win against UTPA (University of Texas Pan-American, for those who are totally not in the know) and a dramatic come from behind win over Oral Roberts University, winning the match 3-2 after falling behind 1-2. The set scores of that game were: 25-18, 21-25, 27-29, 25-14, and the 15-7 score that sealed the deal. ISU then played Lamar Saturday for the right to take home the tournament. And now, I'll turn it over to our correspondent, Arthur Wellesley, the legendary Duke of Wellington, for the breakdown!

Other Stuff You Missed Because There Was No Road Coverage (But it's OK because that shit's expensive, yo)

Victory March!!!

Like Soccer, Volleyball shall have a victory march. But it won't be a German march...in honor of our volleyball correspondent, the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, we at the Wide World of Idaho State have christened "Cock of the North" as the victory march for ISU! Enjoy!



(Enter the Duke of Wellington)



Freshman Abound!

Lori Mendenhall and Jennika Wright, both fresh out of high school playing in their first college games, did not disappoint in the finale of the tournament. Mendenhall, a chip off the old block, brought the fire against Oral Roberts with 51 assists and 10 digs and showed no mercy with 43 assists and 12 digs against Lamar. Wright showed her fire as well, averaging 7 kills (8 against ORU) and made a sizeable contribution to the victory.

Experience Counts

Not to be shown up by the upstart freshmen, the upperclassmen stepped up and began a marvelous siege of the other contenders. Against ORU, Britta Bartschi-Rhodehouse and Haylee Thompson-Brock had game highs of 14 kills apiece and Sarah Carson contributed with 13 kills of her own. Junior Jaclyn Hone, recently engaged (congratulations as well, Lady Hone! What a lucky young man your fiance is!), pelted ORU with a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. Jenna Proost had a game high 18 digs as well, making the game sheer overkill. Against Lamar, the upperclassmen (minus poor Karissa LeGeaux, who could not march against the Cardinals because of migraines), Bartschi-Rhodehouse posted a game high 14 kills and making All-Tournament in the process, while Jenna Proost posted a tournament-high 21 kills, making it quite a weekend for our libero. Carson also made Lamar feel folly for starting the battle with 3 solo blocks and 12 assists.

A Stout Defense

ISU held Oral Roberts to a paltry .173 hitting percentage, which means ORU had to work to score against our brave forces. Lamar really felt the brunt of ISU's defense by being held to an incredible .093 overall though Lamar, in the set they won, had a .237 hitting percentage. Their counterattack only served to make our troops fired up by blasting Lamar with cannon regiments and a .448 hitting percentage. Overall, the Cardinals were held to 40 kills on 136 attempts.

Order of Placements

Here are the final standings of the tournament:

1.) Idaho State
2.) University of Texas Pan-American
3.) Oral Roberts
4.) Lamar University

Well that does it for me! But before I turn it back over to our good lad Ross, I should mention that this week is no walk on the Cliffs of Dover. ISU will be playing Cal Poly who is on a 2 game win streak, Brigham Young University, traditionally a strong program and the great behemoth that is #2 Nebraska. A tough weekend to be sure but the regiments are ready! I will see you next week, all! Ta for now!

(Exit Arthur Wellesley)

Well that is indeed it. ISU wins the UTPA Invitational and will be playing in Provo against some very good teams. Let's have a great week of practice and be ready to go!!!

Soccer Ties USU, Shows Great Effort

Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and ISU tied Utah State yesterday in an exciting and stalemated match that lasted all of regulation and two overtimes. ISU played very well, as did Utah State; both teams were very scrappy and physical (including a beautiful hit by #28, freshman Laura Benson). Also, both teams felt the total anguish at hitting the crossbar in hopeful oh-so-close goals (Rachel Strawn grazed the crossbar in the first overtime and USU almost got theirs in the second overtime round). This was a highly anticipated game, as Utah State entered the game with a #1preseason ranking in the Western Athletic Conference. I don't believe in moral victories but that we tied with what should be the WAC Champion says a lot about our competitiveness.

Other Stuff You May Have Missed Because A Tie Merits More Breakdowns:

Housekeeping

Bailey Williams had a field day protecting the goaline. In fact, it was definitely one of the best outings I have ever seen from a goalie for any team. She really kept the house clean Sunday, saving 7 shots all on her own. This shutout of hers was her 5th career shutout, as it should also be mentioned. Basically, she's a kickass goalie!

In Honor of Our Family

ISU played the game in honor of Ashley Askwig, who learned last week she was no longer able to play the game she loves so much. In one of her most memorable highlights, Skwig scored the gamewinner against Utah State in 2008, her freshman season in (guess what) double overtime with 16 seconds left. We love you Ashley and you will always be family!

A Hard-Fought Rivalry

ISU and Utah State have always been ferocious rivals in soccer. The game for 3 out of the last 4 has gone to overtime and the overall series is an even 5-5-1, with that lone tie coming yesterday.

Crossbars...Nuts!

ISU and USU kept hitting the crossbars at the most heartrending moments, all of them potential gamewinners in the overtime period. For the whole game, USU outshot ISU 17-13, and led ISU in shots on goal, 7-2 (see how awesome Bailey is?).

No Victory March Today

As the Koniggratzer Marsch is the victory march, and ties are not victories (even though this was one great game) there shall be no march today. Hopefully this Friday will see the images of Prussian awesomeness return to ISU Soccer.

ISU should hopefully have a great practice and win the Govnah's Cup this weekend, which would be our first since my freshman year in Fall 2007. Let's get it guys!

ISU Wins, 4-1 over C of I! Victorah!

So yesterday Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and ISU laid waste to College of Idaho, 4-1. But you never heard of it because of a blatant lack of respect and coverage from the Journal, who never even bothered announcing there was a game in the paper because apparently ISU football practices are just SO important! As for the high school football heyday (my alma mater won...good job Indians!)...is it possible to spend the extra money to have a special edition section for them, considering how special the day was for them to play their first game since last November? Not to belittle anyone here, but it does seem rather insane to say nothing about soccer or volleyball, who work just as hard as everyone else. But I digress.

So anyways...on to the recap (and if you want the fancy version, look up this game on the isubengals.com website for the full stats and numbers...just for you stat junkies out there...holla!)

We scored very early and often, and stayed right on top the entire game. The first goal came barely 8 minutes in the game when Laura Perez knocked in a goal after taking the pass from Kiley Godfrey, making it 1-0 ISU. It was her 3rd goal of her Bengal career. The second goal came when Rachel Strawn sent an airborne gift to Tara Bice, who promptly blasted it in with her head to make things 2-0. That goal came at the 23:25 mark, still in the first half. The third goal of the half also belonged to ISU when Rachel Strawn took a corner kick from Lauren Ryan, and sent it through the net. That goal, which came with 8:50 left in the half, was off of a set play...which makes it even better because we didn't get one off a set play last season until the final non-conference game. The second half was fairly uneventful, save for the occasional Irish/German folk song from yours truly to entertain the College of Idaho bench (mission accomplished with honors, heh heh). Macy Egerman from C of I took a very nice shot from out of bounds and scored unassisted from 20 yards out, and just barely beyond freshman keeper Carly Hutchings, who came in at half to relieve Bailey Williams. The final nail in the coffin came with 2:50 remaining when Kiley Godfrey took a pass from Laura Perez and booted it right on in to make it the 4-1 final of the day.

Other Stuff You May Have Missed Because Jay Heater Doesn't Think "Minor" Sports Matter

Victory March!!!



Another day of Artillery Accuracy!

ISU outshot the Coyotes 13-5 (9-1 in the first half alone), scoring 4 times. Clearly, this team continues to improve on its killing accuracy the same way the Prussians improved on their rifle and infantry tactics right before crushing Austria in 7 weeks in 1866. If we can maintain this, we will be a force to be reckoned with come conference time (after hopefully disposing USU and our sister schools in the Governor's Cup).

AJ's Back :)

Yes, Ashley Jones, the Newcomer of The Year last year, is back from her concussion and although she was a little rusty, she should be back in form tomorrow against Utah State (and if not, then definitely by the Governor's Cup). Welcome back AJ! Glad to have you back. Now go celebrate by spreading terror and fear!

A Clean Game

There were remarkably few fouls today in a fast-paced free flowing game. ISU led the foul score, 11-5, which is a stark difference from last week in our win over Loyola Chicago; we had 21 fouls (and 3 golden yellow cards)

Rachel Strawn is Everywhere and Nowhere at the Same Time

Rachel Strawn, for someone as small as a Merlin bird, played very aggressive soccer yesterday. She scored, she assisted, and she was in the face of many C of I players. So great was her hustle that she has earned this writer's Alpo Award. The Alpo Award is an award given for "Dogged" pursuit of victorah over an opponent. Congratulations Rachel and chow down!

Well that's it concerning soccer for now. Tomorrow ISU plays Utah State, a game with more meaning than usual as Ashley Askwig, one of the most beloved players on the team, cannot play the sport she loves anymore due to a heart condition. It will be an emotional day as Skwig will be on the sidelines for the game in a special "Senior Day" dedicated to her. I would like to personally thank Skwig for all that she's done (including the awesome goal that won the game against USU in double overtime as a freshman) and for being such a wonderful person on and off the field. I and so many others will miss you Skwig. We love you!

A Quick Note Concerning Coverage, in Case You Were Wondering

As the Journal, God save those souls, will be offering uber-coverage on the Austro-Hungarian forces (football) and basketball (Dan Angell), I will only be offering basic coverage of those sports. The primary focus of this blog until November will be the adventures of Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and her Bengal Death Battalions (Soccer), Sir Chad Teichert and the Royal Orange Fusiliers of the Black (Volleyball), and the Armee d' Bengal (Rugby). Also, I will try to keep coverage up on cross country (as I run in the alumni meet every year) and whatever tidbits come up.

-ISU Superfan,
Ross Cunningham

A Quick Disclaimer for Those who Doubt My Loyalty

Erhem...

(Play this as you read it, it adds to the effect)


We here at the Wide World of Idaho State, from our correspondants such as the Duke of Wellington to Otto von Bismarck and Ron Burgundy, all emphasize blatant nationalism and flag waving when it comes to college sports. However, we also stress the need to laugh at ourselves every now and then (because if you cannot laugh at yourself, you are not trying). It has come to my attention this past weekend that certain high ranking individuals do not appreciate my, quote, "negative" humor and demanded to know if I am on the ship or not.

Answering said question, yes. Those of us here, including Admiral von Tirpitz and Admiral Jellicoe, along with Isoroku Yamashita, are on board, guns at the ready, actively looking for enemy Grizzly ships and Wildcat cruisers, with the occasional Bobcat drunken rowboat raider. However, just because we're diehard nationalists and devotees to the cause, does not mean we will not pick out the feebles and foibles of ISU. As a matter of fact, we insist on it. We do that to one, lighten up about things and keep a proud head strongly rooted in reality; and two, to bring attention to problems that must be fixed. Why? Because that's how we roll here at the Wide World of Idaho State.

With regards from the top "study cave" in the Rendezvous Center,

ISU Superfan Ross Cunningham and the General Staffs of every military of the 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, plus their respective monarchs and naval staffs.

VICTOIRE! SEIG! VICTORY!

SIEG FUR PRUSSIA!

So, our Idaho State soccer team won the first victory over Loyola of Chicago today, 2-1 when Taylor Powell nailed the final score to seal the deal at the 78th minute (late in the game). Taylor, who has been struggling with injuries the past 2 seasons, finally got onto the field (as a redshirted junior) with, according to Ali, lots of enthusiasm and pride and played one outstanding game. Adding to today's effort, Alisha Cairl (AC to fans and friends alike) scored her very first goal for ISU today! Congrats to you AC! Adding to my personal excitement was the sheer aggression of the team in the match today. We were whistled for 21 fouls and collected 3 yellow cards (the proud offenders were Morgan Olson, Liv Zabka and Megan Stainbrook) and the Ramblers' assistant coach had gotten a card on him for acting boorish (I can only assume). Scoring for Chicago was Kristin Papierski on a penalty kick, coming in on a substitution.

Props for ISU having far better accuracy despite being outshot 14-5. Scoring 2 goals in 5 shots is much better than outshooting a team 21-7 with only a goal that should have been called but not. If ISU can build off this accuracy and develop it, then God help the Big Sky Conference and the soccer world at large (OK maybe the implications aren't that big but still, if ISU can keep up that accuracy, then we'll be NCAA tournament bound for sure!)

Getting a split here (ISU lost to #22 Marquette, 0-5 on Friday after hanging with them for awhile) is vital to the season's success. This is arguably the hardest road trip of the year, save for the usual fights and such on the road in the conference. When the team gets back for classes Tuesday, the morale should be at a decent level as they prepare for their home stretch against College of Idaho and Utah State.

Other stuff you may have missed:

For Every Victory in Soccer...

There shall be an obligatory Victory March song that will be linked on here. That march is nothing less than the totally epic Koniggratzer Marsch, a march written in 1866 to show tribute to Prussia's victory in the Battle of Koniggratz.

Lots of Baby Bengals!

Ali Gibson decided to start 4 freshman today (that's right...4 of them) and they played extremely well. Liv Zabka (proud yellow card holder), Kelsea Godfrey, Tara Bice, and Laura Benson were the young combatants in today's match and they all did very well, contributing to the vital win over Chicago.

No AJ?!

For the diehard followers of ISU soccer, Ashley Jones did not make this trip as she is still recovering from her concussion in a practice the week before the Westminster exhibition. Rest assured, AJ should be good to go by the College of Idaho game to add to the attack.

Aaand no Hough or Donya!

A few others who did not make the 18-player travel roster were notable, including JUCO transfer Anna Pingree, freshman Allyson Stainbrook (Megan's sister), senior Lauren Hough (back problems) and Donya Oliviera, who was in Portugal. They should all be ready to go for Friday's match against C of I.

Laugh for the Day, Because We're SO Evil Like That

So earlier today (or, Monday as this post is now concerned, myaw), at the soccer match vs Westminster, Jason Enes of The Bengal (school newspaper) decided to look up the 1-AA polls for 2010-2011. To note, there are 4 Big Sky teams in the Top 25. They are:

#2 Montana Grizzlies

#13 Eastern Washington Eagles

#19 Weber State Wildcats

#24 Montana State Bobcats

Now, look further down in the "Votes Received" section. There's not a lot that's surprising right? Just the usual stragglers and hopefuls that often crowd the polls outside of the Top 25. Northern Arizona comes in at 28th. Keep looking...oh my...WHAT IS THIS?! Idaho State?! 15 votes? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Either someone at sportsnetwork knows something we don't or they were on some serious narcotics, man!

Anyways, just a laugh for the day/night. Enjoy!