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LOOKING AHEAD: The Portland State women's soccer team returns home this weekend after kicking off its 2011 campaign on the road in Utah. It will open its regular season home schedule this Friday, Aug. 26 against Rebels of UNLV at 1 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. The Vikings will then face the Vandals of Idaho on Sunday, Aug. 28 also at 1 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium.
FOLLOW ALONG: Follow both matches online by clicking the live stats link on www.goviks.com.
SCOUTING UNLV: The Rebels went 1-1 in their opening weekend as they hosted the UNLV Rebel Classic. They opened the season with a 3-0 win over UC Riverside with one goal in the first half and then two more in the second, the final goal in the 90th minute of the match, to record their first win of the season. UNLV then fell to UC Santa Barbara by a score of 1-0. UCSB scored the lone goal of the match in the 82nd minute. The Rebels went 11-8-1 in 2010 and fell to New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference championship by a score of 2-1 in double-overtime.
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Vandals went 0-0-2 in their first weekend of action, also at the UNLV Rebel Classic. They played to a 1-1 draw with UCSB in double-overtime to open the 2011 season. They then played UC Riverside to another 1-1 double-overtime draw. Riverside took the 1-0 lead in the 27th minute but Idaho equalized the match less than 10 minutes later. The Vandals will host Seattle University this Friday before heading to Portland for Sunday's match at Hillsboro Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT: After getting an early lead in each of their first two games of the 2011 season, the Vikings were unable to hold their leads and fell to Utah Valley by a score of 4-2 and Utah State by a score of 2-1 over the opening weekend of the season.
The Vikings scored two quick goals against Utah Valley, including the first career goal by Freshman Daniela Solis, but four second-half goals ended their pursuit of their first win of the season.
Ariel Snyder recorded her first career goal in the second game of the season against Utah State but again the Vikings allowed two second-half goals and fell to Utah State by a final of 2-1.
SCHOTTING THE BREEZE: Vikings head coach Laura Schott is in her fourth season at the helm in 2011. With 24 wins under her belt, Schott is third all-time in career wins at Portland State and is within distance of setting a new mark this fall. Bernie Fagan (1993-96) and Tara Erickson (2001-2004) share PSU's record at 29 wins.
BIG SKY SUPERIORITY: The Vikings have been among the Big Sky Conference's elite the last three years, winning the regular season in 2009 and finishing as the runner-up in both 2008 and 2010.
KEEPING IT LOCAL ON THE PARK BLOCKS: Since taking over in 2008, Schott has increased the number of locals on the Vikings squad. As the number of Oregonians increases, so have the number of wins.
In 2008 there were four Oregonians on the squad that ended the season 5-11-4. In 2009 the win total increased to 10 wins with 10 Oregonians on the team. In 2010 the number of Oregonians increased to 11 and the team won nine games and a school best five games in conference play.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE: Portland State has two sets of twins on the 2011 roster in Carlie and Megan Martin and Kayla and Kelsey Henningson.
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL: The Vikings were selected fourth in the 2011 Big Sky coaches' poll. Exceeding the expectations has been the Portland State motto under head coach Laura Schott. Portland State was picked to finish fifth in 2008 and 2009, but went on to finish second and first, respectively. The Vikings were then picked third in last year's preseason poll but went on to take second in the conference.
THE SHORTEST IN YEARS: Though Portland State has played two exhibitions in August, one against Concordia (Ore.) Aug. 10 and another against Miami (Fla.) Aug. 14 at Hillsboro Stadium, the Vikings will only play 17 regular-season games, the team's shortest regular-season schedule since 1995.
Portland State was in its last year as a Division II Independent and would go on to finish 9-5-2, before joining the Big Sky the following year. Millette DeSpain led the team with 12 goals and nine assists that year.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Once again, Vikings call Hillsboro Stadium home after playing seven-of-eight home contests at the facility last season. In 2011, Portland State will have seven regular season contests and one preseason match at the stadium.
THE PARK BLOCKS WORLD CUP CREDIBILITY: Freshman Daniela Solis, a three-time all-state selection at Sherwood High School, represented Mexico at the U17 Girls World Cup in 2010, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago. Solis made three appearances, two starts, and tallied the game-winning goal against the Republic of South Africa.
