When the Bengals took to the pitch at Davis Field Saturday afternoon, they held their postseason fate in their own hands.

    A win and the Bengals would be regular season Big Sky champions and would host the conference tournament. A loss and they would go into the tournament as the second or third seed.

    The Bengals had a little extra motivation heading into the game, as not only was it senior day for five ISU players, but North Dakota head coach Kristen Gay gave the Bengals a little bit of bulletin board material before the game.

    “We had a film session on Friday and we watched the film, we watched the coach’s interview and their coach said we want to spoil ISU’s season and they did not care about anything else,” senior Morgan Olson said. “After hearing that we had an added level of focus and an added level of passion and you could tell in the locker room before the game.”

    The Bengals came out focused on the task at hand, and it showed as they dominated possession early. That and the two goals the Bengals scored during a three-minute span during the first half turned out to be the difference as they defeated North Dakota 3-0 to earn the Big Sky regular-season championship.

    “I can’t describe what this means to me,” Olson said. “I want to cry and laugh and smile I am so excited,” Olson said. “Just the fact they could have been out of the tournament or hosted it just shows how crazy this conference is and it is so exciting.”

    Allyson Stainbrook scored the Bengals’ first goal on a corner kick at the 22:02 mark of the first half.

    Stainbrook’s goal ricocheted off the goal post and over North Dakota goalkeeper Kristi Hestdalen’s head, and finally over the goal line. While most in attendance saw that the ball crossed the line, but play continued until one of the assistant referees stopped the game and talked to the head referee.

    After a brief discussion the Bengals were awarded the goal.

    A few minutes later, Amanda Ellsworth scored the Bengals’ second goal. It happened when Hestdalen misplayed a cross from Madeline Gochnour and the ball went through her legs. Ellsworth was there to chip the ball into the net.

    ISU led 2-0 at halftime.

    With the lead, the Bengals were looking to just keep possession of the ball and not make any mistakes that could cost them the game.

    ISU accomplished that mission, all while getting a handful of quality scoring chances.

    Ellsworth capitalized on one of those chances with 25 minutes left in the game when she headed a free ball into the net to give ISU a 3-0 lead.

    Idaho State kept possession for the final 20 minutes to close out the game.

    When the final horn sounded, the Bengals celebrated by doing snow angels in the Davis Field grass.

    “After the loss at Weber State we had a talk and the team got very passionate about the rest of the season,” ISU head coach Allison Gibson said. “I told the girls they had to make a decision right then about where the season was going to go. Here we are four wins later and conference champs. I told the girls after the game, ‘Congratulations, you made the right decision.’”

    The regular-season championship is ISU’s first since 2006, and the Big Sky tournament berth is the team’s first since 2009.

    “I knew my role was going to different today,” Gibson said. “With everything at stake and it being senior day my job was to keep them focused on the controllables and I think they did a great job with that.”

    The Big Sky tournament begins Nov. 2 at Davis Field.