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Senior keeper suffers setback more
Returning starter to miss four to eight weeks after breaking thumb
BY TIM FLAGSTAD
[email protected]
POCATELLO — Maren Eves-Williams spent Tuesday’s Idaho State soccer practice watching from the sideline, shagging an occasional errant ball and shouting words of encouragement to her teammates on the Davis Field pitch.
That’s all the senior could do with a soft cast wrapped around her left hand.
Big Sky coaches pick the Bengals to finish sixth in the preseason poll released Tuesday, Page B3
During Monday’s morning training session, Eves-Williams’ fifth year of eligibility came to an unexpected temporary halt when she broke her left thumb defending a corner kick.
“It’s just a real disappointment for a couple reasons,” said coach Allison Gibson. “One, for her, obviously, being on that high of coming back another year and then to do that the first week of training. Secondly, just missing her leadership in the goal with those young keepers.”
Eves-Williams, who started all 18 games for the Bengals a year ago and recorded a school-record 0.77 goals against average, will undergo surgery on the injured thumb today. She will miss anywhere from four to eight weeks.
“It’s kind of like I have to backtrack again until I can actually start playing,” Eves-Williams said. “I don’t know. I’m a little upset.”
The injury adds a huge twist to the already intense competition to become Idaho State’s No. 1 keeper.
With Eves-Williams out, sophomore Kathryn Ford and freshmen Michelle Harrison and Bailey Williams will battle to take over the role to start the season.
“It opens that door a little bit bigger for those three keepers to see if they can step up in the meantime,” Gibson said.
Gibson hopes to have Eves-Williams back sometime in the middle of the Bengals’ nonconference schedule. The team opens Big Sky play Oct. 9 when it hosts Eastern Washington.
Until she can play again, Eves-Williams will do her best to stay involved with the team.
“Just try to give pointers when I can,” she said, “and keep their confidence up and try to support them when they’re out there.”
lOw eXpectatiOns
Two seasons after capturing the Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships, Idaho State hasn’t earned much respect around the league.
In the preseason poll released Tuesday, coaches picked the Bengals to finish sixth in the eight-team conference. Defending champion Sacramento State enters as the favorite, followed by Northern Colorado and Weber State.
“We’ve heard it before. It doesn’t matter that much,” said senior midfielder Kilee Quigley. “I think it pisses everyone off a little bit because we know we’re better than that. But it makes us train harder and makes everyone want to work harder.”
In the past few seasons, the preseason poll has been a poor indication of where teams actually finished.
A year ago, the Hornets were the coaches’ preseason pick, and they did go on to win. But in 2006, Idaho State captured the title after a seventh-place showing in the poll.
In 2005, coaches favored Portland State. The Vikings ended the year out of the Big Sky tournament after a fifthplace finish. Weber State — the third choice in the preseason — won the title.
Last season, coaches tabbed the Bengals as the fifth-best team despite winning the league championship the year before.
For those reasons, Quigley and her teammates aren’t too worried about Tuesday’s announcement.
“We won the conference and came back, and we were still at the end of the list,” Quigley said. “We didn’t do very well last year, and we’re still at the end of the list. I don’t think it matters as long as we train hard, and we just worry about what we have to do.”
Senior keeper suffers setback more
Returning starter to miss four to eight weeks after breaking thumb
BY TIM FLAGSTAD
[email protected]
POCATELLO — Maren Eves-Williams spent Tuesday’s Idaho State soccer practice watching from the sideline, shagging an occasional errant ball and shouting words of encouragement to her teammates on the Davis Field pitch.
That’s all the senior could do with a soft cast wrapped around her left hand.
Big Sky coaches pick the Bengals to finish sixth in the preseason poll released Tuesday, Page B3
During Monday’s morning training session, Eves-Williams’ fifth year of eligibility came to an unexpected temporary halt when she broke her left thumb defending a corner kick.
“It’s just a real disappointment for a couple reasons,” said coach Allison Gibson. “One, for her, obviously, being on that high of coming back another year and then to do that the first week of training. Secondly, just missing her leadership in the goal with those young keepers.”
Eves-Williams, who started all 18 games for the Bengals a year ago and recorded a school-record 0.77 goals against average, will undergo surgery on the injured thumb today. She will miss anywhere from four to eight weeks.
“It’s kind of like I have to backtrack again until I can actually start playing,” Eves-Williams said. “I don’t know. I’m a little upset.”
The injury adds a huge twist to the already intense competition to become Idaho State’s No. 1 keeper.
With Eves-Williams out, sophomore Kathryn Ford and freshmen Michelle Harrison and Bailey Williams will battle to take over the role to start the season.
“It opens that door a little bit bigger for those three keepers to see if they can step up in the meantime,” Gibson said.
Gibson hopes to have Eves-Williams back sometime in the middle of the Bengals’ nonconference schedule. The team opens Big Sky play Oct. 9 when it hosts Eastern Washington.
Until she can play again, Eves-Williams will do her best to stay involved with the team.
“Just try to give pointers when I can,” she said, “and keep their confidence up and try to support them when they’re out there.”
lOw eXpectatiOns
Two seasons after capturing the Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships, Idaho State hasn’t earned much respect around the league.
In the preseason poll released Tuesday, coaches picked the Bengals to finish sixth in the eight-team conference. Defending champion Sacramento State enters as the favorite, followed by Northern Colorado and Weber State.
“We’ve heard it before. It doesn’t matter that much,” said senior midfielder Kilee Quigley. “I think it pisses everyone off a little bit because we know we’re better than that. But it makes us train harder and makes everyone want to work harder.”
In the past few seasons, the preseason poll has been a poor indication of where teams actually finished.
A year ago, the Hornets were the coaches’ preseason pick, and they did go on to win. But in 2006, Idaho State captured the title after a seventh-place showing in the poll.
In 2005, coaches favored Portland State. The Vikings ended the year out of the Big Sky tournament after a fifthplace finish. Weber State — the third choice in the preseason — won the title.
Last season, coaches tabbed the Bengals as the fifth-best team despite winning the league championship the year before.
For those reasons, Quigley and her teammates aren’t too worried about Tuesday’s announcement.
“We won the conference and came back, and we were still at the end of the list,” Quigley said. “We didn’t do very well last year, and we’re still at the end of the list. I don’t think it matters as long as we train hard, and we just worry about what we have to do.”
