tflagstad@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - A week ago, coach Allison Gibson asked her young players on the Idaho State soccer team to give all their best effort to send the seniors off with strong showings in their final two home matches.

When the Bengals play their final contest of the 2008 season against Weber State at 11 a.m. today in Ogden, Utah, Gibson will request that the seniors set a tone for seasons to come, even though they no longer will be with the program.

"I'm gonna ask the seniors to play for the young players and lead us out there one more time and show what we're supposed to do for the future," Gibson said following the team's 1-0 loss last week against Portland State.

With a 3-11-4 overall record and a 1-4-1 mark in Big Sky play, looking ahead is all that's left for Idaho State. It can't make the league tournament, and in the standings, the only thing a win will do for the Bengals is assure that they won't finish alone with the fewest victories since the team won only two matches in its inaugural 1998 campaign. The 2005 squad ended with four wins.

Players, though, realize there's more to play for than just the record.

"We want to build on how we end this year," said junior Annamarie Hofstetter. "Even though we won't make the tournament, we need to end on a positive note, play strong and build for next season."

The team has plenty of pieces to work with for that next campaign.

Of the 198 potential starting spots in the Bengals' 18 matches, freshmen or sophomores have filled 118 - or 60 percent - of them. That doesn't include Hofstetter, the program's all-time leader in assists, or fellow juniors Kacey Ball and Christina Beseris, who have started a combined 30 matches this season.

"I know that this year was an unlucky year for us. We played well and did all we could. Things just didn't come out our way," said senior captain Kilee Quigley. "Next year, this team is gonna do great things, and I know they're gonna win the Big Sky next year or at least make it to the tournament and do well."

While Idaho State will play with an eye toward the future, today, its opponent still has very much at stake this season.

The Wildcats (7-9-2, 4-2-0) currently sit a point behind conference leader Portland State in the Big Sky standings. Weber State can capture the regular-season title and the rights to host the league tournament with a win.

So aside from setting a tone for 2009, the Bengals can play spoiler to their closest league opponent.

But as much as any team relishes the chance to trip up a rival, Idaho State certainly has greater things in mind.

"This is gonna be: How do we want to end this season for next year?" Gibson said. "We have a long offseason to think about it."