MISSOULA, Mont. – The University of Idaho women's soccer team earned a 2-0 halftime lead, then held off a tough North Dakota State rally in a 3-2 victory on Sunday in the Montana Nike Cup at Missoula, Mont.

“We possessed well and possessed with purpose,” Idaho head coach Pete Showler said. “They threw everything at us and we withstood it. The second half wasn't as pretty, but we knew it wouldn't be. They were a very aggressive team and we handled it – a top-drawer win.”

Junior forward Chelsea Small scored a pair of goals and freshman midfielder Katie Baran netted her first career score in the match as Idaho moves to 3-3-2 on the year and NDSU slips to 4-2-0. Small was credited with her 11th career game-winner.

Baran got things started when she redirected a Kristi Atkinson cross past the keeper at the 31:32 mark, then just moments later, Baran sent a forward pass to Small, who put it into the left corner at 32:06 for a quick 2-0 lead.

North Dakota State, a 2010 NCAA Tournament qualifier, responded with an early goal 12 minutes into the second half at 57:51 when Katie Tallas scored off a Morgan DeMike pass. It was an Idaho quick response that proved the difference, though, as Small took a pass down the right side from junior defender Erica Hart and put away the game-winner at 66:52.

“The nice thing is we were two-nil up and we were controlling the game,” Showler said. “When they scored, our heads didn't drop. We came right back at them and scored again.”

NDSU made things interesting when Jaclyn Scanlan put in a rebound at 70:05 to draw within one goal, but the Vandals held strong over the remaining 20 minutes to clinch the win.

Small extended two Idaho school records in the contest with her 26th and 27th career scores, as well as her 11th career game-winner. It was also the seventh multi-goal game of her career and first so far in 2011. Atkinson, a sophomore midfielder, earned her first career assist, while Baran earned her first career goal and second career assist. Hart's assist was her second this season and the fourth of her career.

The Bison outshot Idaho 18-9 overall and 6-3 in on-target shots, but Vandal freshman keeper Marissa Fehrman made four saves and NDSU keeper Kalani Bertsch didn't register a stop. The Vandals also held a 6-5 edge in corner kicks. NDSU had 10 fouls to Idaho's nine, and the Vandals where whistled a season-high five times for offsides.

“Today was hugely important,” Showler said. “Three wins out of four gets us back on track and the girls have shown they can battle down and play good soccer.”

After posting a weekend split at the tournament, Idaho will now move on to its toughest stretch so far this year, when the Vandals play four games in a seven-day period next week. It all starts in one week when the Vandals host Washington State in the battle of the Palouse at Guy Wicks Field on Sept.18, at 1 p.m.

Idaho will then play road games at BYU on Sept. 20, in the first nationally-televised game in program history on BYU-TV at 6 p.m., and at Gonzaga on Friday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m. They'll wrap up that stretch with a home match against Eastern Washington on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m.

“Coming up against probably two of our toughest opponents this year in WSU and BYU, who are both having great seasons, we have to know that we've got the ability to compete with these teams, and then we've got to have the confidence to go do it,” Showler said.