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HILLSBORO, Ore. — Sophomore defender Torie Morris scored the game-winner just over two and a half minutes into the match and the Portland State women's soccer team beat North Dakota 1-0 Sunday in Big Sky play at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
Morris' strike was the lone goal in a match the Vikings (5-4-1, 2-0-0 Big Sky) dominated offensively. PSU outshot North Dakota (1-10-1, 0-2-0 Big Sky) 22-2 in the match, which included an 11-1 PSU advantage in shots on goal.
 
North Dakota's two shots Sunday were the fewest PSU has allowed in a match since the Vikings held Montana to two shots in a 1-0 win on Nov. 7, 2002.
 
"A six-point conference weekend is a good weekend," PSU head coach Laura Schott said. "I am proud of our team and how we played. With weather playing a factor today, we did a good job to adjust and earn the shutout."
 
The shot advantage would have been for naught, however, if not for Morris' goal, which came off a set piece in the third minute. PSU won a free kick just outside the 18-yard box and junior defender Kayla Henningsen sent a ball deep into the box that North Dakota goalkeeper Kristi Hestdalen made a play on but couldn't control. As a result, the rebound fell to junior forward Eryn Brown, who sent a quick touch to Morris, who hammered the shot in from within the six-yard line.
 
"Torie had a great goal today," Schott said. "It was one of those goals that appearas to be a 'right place at the right time' situation, but often times those goals are born out of hard work off the ball. Torie has been putting in the work and I'm pleased she got a goal today."
 
Morris' goal was the first shot of the match for the Vikings, and led to a 15-1 shot advantage for PSU in the first half Sunday.
 
With her assist on the goal, Brown now has five assists this season, which ranks tied for the sixth-best single-season total in school history. Brown's goal and point totals this season also rank among the top 10 best single-season totals in school history, as her six goals rank tied for the eight-best all-time mark, while her 17 points rank tied for the sixth-best all-time mark.
 
The PSU defense, meanwhile, continued its impressive run over the last seven matches with its play Sunday, as the team recorded its fifth shutout in that span. Sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Plese and the rest of the defense have only given up two goals in the past seven matches, and have held four of their seven opponents in that span to less than 10 shots.
 
Plese recorded her fourth individual shutout of the season in Sunday's match, tying her for the seventh-best single-season shutout total in school history. Plese's four shutouts have all come in the last seven matches, during which she has a 0.28 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.
 
The Vikings take a four-match unbeaten streak into a conference road trip next weekend, as it travels to Eastern Washington and Montana. PSU opens the weekend at Eastern Washington Friday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. (PT), then plays Montana Sunday, Oct. 6, at 11 a.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: PSU moved to 2-0-0 all-time against North Dakota with its win Sunday…PSU beat North Dakota 3-1 on Sept. 23 last season in the first-ever match between the two teams…Ten different Viking players have scored a goal for the team this season after Morris scored her first goal of the season Sunday…Morris' goal was the second of her career.