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OGDEN, Utah — Two goals from junior midfielder Ariana Cooley led the Portland State women's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Weber State Thursday, keeping the Vikings unbeaten in the Big Sky Conference with two matches to play in the regular season.
 
With Thursday's win, the Vikings stand one win away from clinching at least a share of the Big Sky regular season title, as they lead the conference at 6-0-1 in league play and 9-4-2 overall. Weber State had been tied for second in the Big Sky heading into the match, but fell to 7-4-3 overall and 3-2-1 with the loss.

"Weber is one of the best teams in the conference, and an away win against them is a good accomplishment for our group," PSU head coach Laura Schott said.
 
Cooley scored the first two goals of the match for the Vikings, putting PSU up 2-0 with goals in the 27th and 57th minute. Cooley opened the scoring for the Vikings in the 27th minute, when she took a failed clearance from Weber State's back line and fired a shot into an open net from 10 yards out. Cooley then came back to pad Vikings lead in the 57th minute, when she scored on a corner kick from sophomore forward Lynsey Gaines.

Cooley's brace was the first multiple-goal game of her career, and moved into a tie for second on the team with four goals scored this season.

However, the Wildcats, who entered Thursday unbeaten at home this season, kept up the pressure on the Vikings and eventually pulled back within one on a goal in the 82nd minute. Junior midfielder Mackenzie Day scored the goal for the Wildcats after running onto a through ball from sophomore midfielder Chansi Crompton.
 
The goal was the first allowed by the PSU defense that wasn't a penalty kick in over 880 minutes of playing time. The Vikings had not allowed a non-PK goal since giving up a 55th-minute goal in a 1-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 13.
 
The Vikings responded well to the goal, though, and went back up by two goals when sophomore midfielder Tamia Hasan converted a penalty kick with only 3:49 left to play.
 
PSU became the first team to score multiple goals against the Wildcats in Ogden this season, as Weber State had outscored their previous four opponents at home by a combined score of 9-1. The Wildcats had also entered Thursday's match with the fewest goals allowed in the Big Sky overall (13 goals allowed entering Thursday), but fell behind the Vikings after the match.
 
PSU scored its three goals even while getting outshot 17-8 in the match, the third time this season the Vikings have won a match in which they were outshot. Thursday was also only the second time this season the Vikings have won when recording less than 10 shots in a match.
 
The Vikings now take a nine-match unbeaten streak into their match Saturday, Oct. 19, at Idaho State. That match will kick off at 12 p.m. (PT), and will be the Vikings' first chance to clinch at least a share of their third straight Big Sky title.
 
Match Notes: Thursday's win extended the Vikings' unbeaten streak against the Wildcats to six matches, and leveled the teams' all-time series at 8-8-3…The Vikings are now 8-0-0 when scoring before halftime, and 8-0-0 when they lead at halftime… The Vikings have trailed in only one Big Sky match this season (Oct. 13 vs. Northern Arizona)…Gaines' assist was her third of the season as well, moving her into sole possession of third place on the team in the category.