BOISE, Idaho – Dmitri Fong made nine saves while Corey Kizer and Eliudth Gonzalez each scored goals as the Aggies (1-2-1) defeated Idaho State (0-2-1) 2-1 in a neutral site contest at Boas Soccer Complex in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon.
 
"Coming off a game where we fought for 70 minutes and couldn't quite finish, it was great to see a performance like this today," said head coach Rob Baarts. "Our ability to sub in and out without a drop-off in performance is a luxury that we didn't have last year, especially in a hard-fought battle like today."
 
NM State started fast with Hannah Leitner recording a shot on goal just 46 seconds into the match. Alexa Barrera and Kelly Burton added shots in the 6^th and 7^th minutes while Kizer and Shea O'Connor forced the Bengals' Katie Hogarth to make saves in the 8^th and 13^th minutes respectively.
 
Fong was not tested until the 18^th minute but she was there to make her first save of the match off the foot of Lauren McGahie. The redshirt junior added two more saves in the 31^st and 37^th minutes while Emma Smith recorded a shot on goal in the 34^th minute.
 
Despite the two squads combining for 21 shots in the first half, they entered the break in a scoreless tie.
 
The second period started with a strong Aggie attack as Xitlaly Hernandez recorded a shot in the 46^th minute. Then, in the 48^th minute, X. Hernandez found Kizer who beat Hogarth for her first-career goal and a 1-0 New Mexico State lead.
 
The Bengals nearly got the goal back immediately, however, Fong was there to make a save on the shot from Esmeralda Nunez in the 51^st minute. Fong then stepped up again to keep NM State in the lead with a save in the 60^th minute.
 
Holding onto a 1-0 lead, Gonzalez notched her first goal in the Crimson and White, unassisted, in the 71^st minute to extend the NM State lead to 2-0. Although, Idaho State halved the deficit in the 79^th minute when Paige Smith finished off the assist from Makena Bambei.
 
The Bengals had one more opportunity to tie the game before the end of regulation but Fong was there to snuff out the attempt from Natasha Camacho-Bier in the 87^th minute and the Aggies took home the 2-1 victory.
 
Fong finished the afternoon with nine save while Hogarth made five for Idaho State. New Mexico State recorded 19 shots to the Bengals' 17 with seven of those shots on goal.
 
NM State returns to the pitch and Las Cruces on Sunday, Sept. 8, against Texas State at the Soccer Athletic Complex at 1 p.m. (MT). All New Mexico State students receive free entry to Aggie athletic events with a valid student I.D.
 
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