POCATELLO — For sophomore forward Lacie Poll, the game of soccer means more than a simple win or loss.

Before every game, after she drinks her pregame coconut Red Bull, she puts her jersey on, then picks up a Sharpie and writes phrases that remind her what the game means to her.

On her leg, she writes “Remember Why.”

“That stands for remembering who I’m playing for, remember why I’m here, and who got me here,” Poll said.

On her wrists, she first writes “WP,” which stands for Wil Pentz, who passed away in 2021.

“He was a big aspect of my life, so I play 110% for him on the field,” she said.

Then on her wrist she writes a phrase told to her by her dad, “LMFP” — a phrase she wants to keep between her and her father. She finishes with her boyfriend’s name, Cam, to represent who she lives her life and plays for.

Poll, a native of Morgan, Utah, picked up a soccer ball at 4 years old and never let it go from there. Her dream was to play Division I soccer.

“It’s always been my dream to play some college soccer, especially at the D-I level,” Poll said. “I feel like I’ve worked so hard to be here. I feel like I could have gone to a JUCO or a smaller school and eventually went to D1, but I knew D-I was where I wanted to be and where I thought was the best decision for me.”

After being cut from her first competitive team, she went to work to achieve her dream. After a lot of hard work, she made the team and went on to Morgan High School.

During her time at Morgan, she scored 92 goals and tallied 42 assists, capping her career with a chance to win a state championship against Ogden. She did just that with a 2-1 victory.

“We just put our heads down and worked as a team and finally beat that team we’ve always been trying to beat,” she said.

She closed her high school chapter by winning the Utah 3A Player of the Year award.

Despite the goals and accolades, a lot of colleges and coaches went in other directions, overlooking her — except for one.

Idaho State head coach Dustin Downey saw Poll multiple times, first on film and then in person, and he liked what he saw.

“I think Lacie was a little bit of a hidden gem,” Downey said. “I think a lot of people probably didn’t see her or passed up on her. For what reasons, I’m not sure.”

That was evident during the recruiting process, when other coaches sent Downey tape on players they thought were better than Poll. Downey, however, believed in her potential — and that belief was one of the reasons Poll chose Idaho State.

“I chose here because Dustin was a really good coach,” Poll said. “He knew me as a player and wanted to know me as a person more than a player.”

Another reason was the small-town feel of Pocatello.

“I come from a small town, so I love the small-town aspect,” Poll said. “I’m only two hours from home, so I’m far enough away where I can be myself and find out who I am, but close enough where I can go home if I need to.”

Poll, who is playing backup to fifth-year Saydree Cooke, has shown the coaching staff — and everyone else — what she can do.

“It’s almost been like an apprenticeship behind Saydree,” Downey said. “For her to get a couple years in, she’s getting more and more minutes. But this is Saydree’s last go, and somebody’s got to be able to fill her spot, and I think Lacie is the player to come in and do that.”

In her freshman season, Poll appeared in 15 matches, started one, and scored her first collegiate goal.

During the offseason, Poll wanted to improve her shot placement and effectiveness, with the goal of earning more playing time. So far, through nine games, her work has paid off — Poll has taken six shots on the season and put three of them in the back of the net.

“She’s getting better by the day, and she’s super coachable, and I love that about her,” Downey said. “She works her butt off. She takes feedback well, and I think every year she’s become a little bit more dangerous. I love having her in the attack.”

She isn’t just a player — she’s also a great person, growing in every way on and off the field.

“Very sweet kid, a little shy, a little bit conservative at times with how she interacts,” Downey said. “She’s a big social media head, loves her TikTok, loves her Instagram. I love having her.”

To Poll, whenever she steps onto the soccer field, it’s for the 4-year-old who first started kicking the ball. It’s for the people and phrases written on her body every time she plays.