POCATELLO, Idaho – After one final exhibition against Canadian side Trinity Western on Friday, Oregon State women’s soccer returns to action this week in Pocatello, Idaho, facing Idaho State on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s game in Pocatello marks the second time in program history that OSU and ISU have faced off, as the Beavers and Bengals last played during the 1998 season, which finished as a 1-0 Oregon State victory. Oregon State Beavers at Idaho State BengalsTime: 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MTLocation: Pocatello, IdahoWatch: ESPN+Live Stats: Stat Broadcast Scouting the Bengals: Idaho State is 1-1-1 on the year and coming off a road loss at Boise State on Friday. Paige Harris and Payton Reed have each scored a goal this season while Trinity Hale has held things down in net, making 14 saves and maintaining a save percentage of 82.4% across 270 minutes of action. As a team, the Bengals are averaging seven shots per contest and have put 28.6% of those shots on frame.
Debutants:
The Beavers welcomed four new faces to the Oregon State family last offseason, all freshmen. During the team’s season-opening weekend, two of those freshmen made their collegiate debuts.
Ari Hill is a wide player who was a three-time First Team All-League Selection at Sumner High School (Sumner, Wash.). Entering Sunday’s game for the first time in the 33rd minute, she finished her collegiate debut with 18 minutes of action.
Joining Hill on the pitch late in the second half was Hayden Wilson, a central defender from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. A First Team All-Baseline League as a junior, Wilson checked in for the first time in the 85th minute and finished the game.
Chances:
Oregon State’s leader in points, goals, shots and shots on goal last season, McKenna Martinez created several great chances against the Grizzlies. In the 19th minute, her high pressure caused a turnover near the opposition’s 18-yard box that led to a shot, before creating a pair of great opportunities late in the game; the Richland, Wash., native drew a foul on the edge of the 18 to create a shooting opportunity in the 77th minute before cutting on to her left foot and just missing at the near post a minute later.
Cassi James subbed on for Carly Carraher in the 42nd minute and fired a shot in the 43rd minute that forced a Montana save, marking her first attempt on goal as a Beaver.
Career-High:
Mya Sanchez played in eight games across her first two seasons at OSU, totaling 245 minutes of game action and 17 saves. Against Montana, Sanchez made her first career start and set a new career-high for saves, stopping six Grizzly shots to surpass her previous personal best of five. She also played the full 90 for the first time, having a previous career high of 76 against California last season.
Working Hard:
With several key returners back for the Beavers this season, the team relied upon those veterans as many got extended runs in Missoula. Amaya Bautista, the team’s leader in minutes played last season, went the full 90 alongside Sanchez, Mia Erba, Paola Figueroa, Claire Jones and Valerie Tobias. Carly Carraher (87), Juju Barker (85), and Megin Turi (78) also started and played big minutes for the team; Katie Godden played 51 minutes to lead the reserves and finished with one shot.
The Return:
Having last suited up during a 1-0 victory over James Madison on Sept. 11, 2022, Ava Benedetti’s college career has been a whirlwind, starting at Seattle U where was a First Team All-WAC selection as a sophomore thanks to eight goals and three assists. After a transfer to Arkansas, she played in 19 games for a Razorback side that lost in penalty kicks during the Elite 8 at the NCAA Tournament.
The Happy Valley, Ore., native transferred back to OSU prior to the 2022 season and scored one goal in eight appearances (seven starts) in her first year before missing the 2023 season. Against Montana, Benedetti started and played 47 minutes, some 707 days after her last appearance on a college pitch.
What’s Next:
Up next for Oregon State is the team’s official home opener, welcoming the Yale Bulldogs to Corvallis. Kickoff at Paul Lorenz Field is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1.
OUR MISSIONOregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
