MISSOULA, Mont. (November 11, 2026) – After 110 minutes of action and a 1-1 tie, the No. 3 Northern Arizona soccer team advanced to the Big Sky Semifinals with 3-2 result in penalty kicks over No. 6 Idaho State on Wednesday afternoon at South Campus Stadium.

NAU moves to 8-6-6 on the year, while Idaho State sees its season come to an end at 4-9-6. The overtime affair marks the first for the 'Jacks since the 2024 season, which was also a Big Sky Quarterfinal match. The semifinal appearance also marks two straight appearances for NAU.

The 1-1 draw makes three straight ties between the 'Jacks and Bengals, and the stats were certainly reflective of a balanced matchup. NAU outshot ISU, 21-20, while the Bengals put 10 shots on target to NAU's nine. Corner kicks were even at five apiece.

Micala Boex netted her eighth goal on the season in the 45th minute to open second-half action and break the scoreless tie. Ava Hinske and Val Llamas provided the assists, their third and second helpers on the season.

Lexi Saveski made the start in goal and played all 90 minutes, making a career-high nine saves, and turned away Idaho State's fifth penalty attempt to advance the 'Jacks.

The Bengals equalized in the 71st minute, off a well-placed free kick by Gracie East. Erin O'Connor nearly took the lead back with a shot on goal in the 75th minute, and Katelyn Caballero followed with a shot that was just high in the 77th minute.

After Saveski collected another free kick shot in the 86th minute, NAU got one last chance in regulation with a corner kick in the 89th minute, but couldn't get a shot on target as the match headed to overtime.

Through 20 extra ticks, neither side was able to put a shot on target and penalty kicks commenced. Although ISU initially got the upper hand, two saves by Saveski between three conversions from Elliotte Kortus, Boex, and Brooklyn Jones put NAU on the brink of advancing. A make on the next attempt from the Bengals made it 3-2, right before a miss from NAU opened the door to even things up again. But Saveski stepped up for the denial, allowing the 'Jacks to advance with the 3-2 result.

With her goal today, Micala Boex totals her point count for the year to 22, making her the third player in NAU history to record back-to-back seasons with 20 or more points. She also moves into a tie for seventh all-time in career goals with 19.

Northern Arizona will meet No. 2 Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 13 for a spot in the championship match up for grabs. Kickoff with the Bears is set for 10:30 am MST and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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