ISU soccer: Confident Bengals host Grizzlies Saturday at 1 p.m.

(For a photo gallery from Idaho State's game versus Eastern Washington, click here.)

Momentum is fickle and confidence can vanish like a golden leaf in a fall wind.

Nine games into the 2013 season, Idaho State has boasted confidence and harnessed momentum. The Bengals skated by Boise State 2-1 in overtime and clobbered Idaho 2-0 in Pocatello.

The defending Big Sky champs and preseason co-favorites were undefeated and rolling.

But a beating at Texas Tech seemed to sap ISU of its mojo, its swag, and the Bengals slogged through five games while being outscored on aggregate 19-6.

The defeats were so brutal, swift and thorough, ISU head coach Allison Gibson instituted a week of 5 a.m. practices and tests designed to remind the players they would only reverse course on a steep mid-season slide by learning to lean on one another.

After Idaho State’s last two games, both 1-0 victories, including Thursday’s Big Sky Conference opener against Eastern Washington, the Bengals (4-5, 1-0 Big Sky) have found the missing confidence.

And they have momentum headed into today’s match with Montana (3-4-3, 0-1 Big Sky) at Davis Field at 1 p.m.

Last season, the Bengals and Grizzlies battled for 230 minutes in two games, and ISU won its fifth Big Sky championship when it outdueled Montana 4-3 in penalty kicks in the conference title game.

Montana, picked third in the preseason, lost to Weber State 2-0 in Ogden the same day Idaho State defeated Eastern. The Wildcats assaulted Montana’s goal in the first half, piling up 15 shots and 22 for the game, compared to 12 for the Grizzlies.

But ISU’s players have no questions of what to expect against Montana today.

“They are going to have a lot of hate torwards us because we beat them in the final of the tournament,” said Kiley Godfrey after Thursday’s game. “So we’re going to have a lot of heat on us. ... We’re just going to have to come out and play the best we can, and know that they’re going to put up a hell of a fight.”

Gibson is wary of Montana’s team speed, and the pace of play compared to the Bengals’ match with Eastern.

“The speed of play is going to be much faster,” she said. “So we just have to mentally prepare for that, but at the same time, I think the quicker we move the ball and do our thing, the better off we’ll be.”

A quicker run of play could lead to more shots, and that means a busy day for ISU goalkeeper Sheridan Hapsic.

As a freshman, she posted nine saves against the Grizzlies in two games, and, in part, she earned the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament MVP after stopping three Montana penalty kick attempts.

This year, like Idaho State itself, Hapsic’s inner belief fluctuated during the Bengals’ losing streak. But she’s starting to ride the momentum spurred by two-straight shut outs.

“Our team wasn’t working well together, so it affected me as well,” she said. “And I didn’t have as much confidence. Once we all decided that we were ready to play as a team again, that’s when my confidence went up. ... I think that’s the biggest difference between then and now.”