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PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State women's soccer team (3-4-3, 0-1-1 Big Sky) returns home for a home stand against Eastern Washington and Montana this weekend. The Vikings host Eastern Washington Friday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m. (PT), and then host Montana Sunday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. (PT). Both matches will be played at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
LIVE STATS:
Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend. Live stats for both matches will be available on vikslive.com, and will also be available at viksmobile.com for mobile devices. Links to live stats for both matches will also be available on the women's soccer schedule page on GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO:
A free live stream will also be available for both matches this weekend at WatchBigSky.com. Fans will have to create an account and download some plug-ins beforehand, however. Matt Marquette will call the game for the Vikings.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON:
The Eastern Washington Eagles (4-4-0, 1-1-0 Big Sky) enter their match against Portland State Friday coming off their biggest win of the season so far. The Eagles beat defending Big Sky Tournament champion Weber State 5-1 last Sunday. The Eagles scored five unanswered goals in the match, including four in the second half, after the teams went into halftime tied 1-1. The Eagles' win over the Wildcats helped the team overcome a disappointing loss to Idaho State in its Big Sky opener Friday, as the Bengals beat the Eagles 2-1 on a 108th-minute golden goal. Overall this season, the Eagles have already bettered their win total from last season (3), as they compete in their season under new head coach Chad Bodnar. Bodnar has already seen results in his first season, as the Eagles rank among the Big Sky leaders both offensively and defensively this season. Offensively, the Eagles rank tied for second in goals scored with 18 goals this season, just one goal behind league-leader Idaho State at 19. Four players have combined to produce 15 of the team's 18 goals this season, led by freshman forward Savannah Hoekstra, who leads the team and ranks tied for third in the Big Sky with five goals this season. Besides Hoekstra, senior forward Cassie Black ranks sixth in the Big Sky with four goals this season, while freshman forward Chloe Williams and sophomore midfielder Paige Gallaway rank tied for seventh in the conference with three goals each. Black and Williams also rank tied for the team lead in assists with three each this season, and rank tied for third in the Big Sky in the category. Additionally, Hoekstra (12), Black (11) and Williams (9) rank tied for fourth, sixth and tied for seventh in the Big Sky in points, respectively. Meanwhile, defensively, the Eagles rank tied for third with the Vikings in goals allowed this season, having only surrendered 12 goals so far. Eagles goalkeeper Nathalie Schwery also ranks tied for third in the Big Sky in shutouts with three so far this season.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST EASTERN WASHINGTON:
Portland State has dominated the all-time series against Eastern Washington in the past, as they take a 13-4-1 record against the Eagles into their match Friday, including a 7-1-0 mark at home. The Vikings last lost to the Eagles at home on Sept. 4, 2000, when the Eagles beat them 3-2. The Vikings will also take a six-match unbeaten streak over the Eagles into their match Friday, as well as a four-match winning streak. Additionally, the six-match unbeaten streak has encompassed PSU head coach Laura Schott's entire head coaching career at Portland State, meaning she has never lost to the Eagles as the Vikings' head coach.
 
DAM CUP SERIES:
The match between Portland State and Eastern Washington will be the first match in the Dam Cup series for the 2014-15 season. The Vikings won the Dam Cup last season, after winning five of the first six matches in the series, including a 2-0 win in soccer on Oct. 4. The Vikings also won the Dam Cup in 2010-11 and 2011-12, while the Eagles won it in 2012-13.
 
SCOUTING MONTANA:
The Montana Grizzlies (6-5-0, 2-0-0 Big Sky) swept defending Big Sky Tournament champion Weber State and Idaho State to open Big Sky play last weekend. The Grizzlies beat Weber State 1-0 in Missoula on Friday, and then followed it up with a 3-1 win over Idaho State on Sunday. Those wins followed an up-and-down non-conference schedule for Montana during which the Grizzlies went 4-5 while playing several matches against teams from major conferences. Three of the Grizzlies' five losses this season have come from matches against Washington State of the Pac-12, Texas of the Big 12 and Missouri of the SEC. The Grizzlies nearly beat Missouri on the road, though, as the Grizzlies held a 3-1 lead over Missouri with less than 15 minutes left in regulation, only to see the Tigers score two late goals to tie it 3-3 at the end of regulation, and then score a game-winning golden goal in the 105th minute. The Grizzlies bounced back with a 2-0 win at home over Colorado State in their next match on Sept. 19, however. The win over the Rams gives the Vikings and Grizzlies a common opponent this season, after the Vikings beat the Rams 3-0 on the road on Sept. 5. Overall statistically this season, freshman forward Hallie Widner and senior midfielder Chloe Torres have led the Montana attack that ranks tied for fourth in the Big Sky with 16 goals scored this season. Widner has scored five of the team's goals, three more than any other player on the team, and ranks tied for third in the Big Sky in goals scored as an individual. Torres, meanwhile, leads the team with four assists this season, which also ranks her tied for the Big Sky lead in the category. Additionally, the Grizzlies rank second in the Big Sky with four shutouts defensively this season, and rank fourth in the conference in goals-against average (1.16), as well as fifth in goals allowed (13). Sophomore goalkeeper Kailey Norman also ranks tied for second in the Big Sky in saves per game (5.18), while also ranking fourth in the Big Sky in save percentage (.814) and fifth in goals-against average (1.16).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST MONTANA:
The Vikings lead the all-time series against Montana 10-9-2, including a 9-8-2 in Big Sky matches. The Vikings have won six of their past eight matches against Montana, including a 1-0 win over Montana in Missoula last season. The Vikings have also won three straight matches over the Grizzlies at home, having not lost at home since 2006. Additionally, PSU head coach Laura Schott has a 5-1-1 record against Montana in her coaching career at PSU.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Vikings opened Big Sky play on the road last weekend, and faced a tough road challenge playing at elevation against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. The Vikings came back to draw 1-1 with Northern Arizona after giving up an early goal Friday, but then couldn't find the comeback in a 2-0 loss to Southern Utah on Sunday. Junior forward Tamia Hasan scored the equalizing goal for the Vikings against Northern Arizona, as she leveled the match in the 25th minute. That goal tied the match up after Northern Arizona took an early leads in the match on a goal in the 13th minute. Southern Utah also went up early on the Vikings in their match, scoring goals in the 21st and 31st minutes that the Vikings weren't able to respond to.
 
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Vikings split their next weekend between playing on the road and at home, as they head out on the road for a match at Idaho State Friday, Oct. 10, then head back home for a match against Weber State Sunday, Oct. 12. The match against Idaho State will kick off at 4 p.m. (MT) in Pocatello, Idaho, while the match against Weber State will kick off at 1 p.m. (PT) at Hillsboro Stadium. The match against Weber State will be a rematch of last season's Big Sky final, which the Wildcats won in penalty kicks after the teams finished tied, 0-0, through regulation and two overtime periods.
 
90 MINUTES NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH:
The Vikings' 1-1 draw with Northern Arizona on Friday was the team's fifth overtime match out of 10 total matches this season. The Vikings have gone 1-1-3 in their five overtime matches this season, including the draw against Northern Arizona on Friday. Besides that match, the Vikings also finished tied with Boise State, 1-1, on Aug. 24, and San Francisco, 1-1, on Aug. 29. The Vikings then split their other two overtime matches, losing 1-0 to then-No. 10 Texas Tech on Sept. 7 before beating Oregon 1-0 on Sept. 12. The five overtime matches is already more than the Vikings played during all of last season, when the Vikings went 1-0-3 in overtime matches, including the Big Sky Tournament final against Weber State.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH:
Junior forward Tamia Hasan's game-tying goal against Northern Arizona on Friday moved her into a tie with freshman forward Mackenzie Bean for the team scoring lead this season. Hasan and Bean have each scored two goals this season, though the Vikings have been a balanced attack for the most part this season. Six different players have scored the Vikings' eight goals so far, as only Hasan and Bean have scored multiple goals this season. Besides Hasan and Bean, senior midfielder Ariana Cooley, freshman defender Maddie Prehoda, senior defender Kayla Henningsen and junior midfielder Emma Cooney have all also scored for the Vikings. Cooney recorded the assist on Hasan's goal, too, giving the Vikings five different players who have recorded the team's five assists this season. Besides Cooney, senior midfielder Ariana Cooley, junior defender Torie Morris, senior defender Kelsey Henningsen and sophomore midfielder Whitney Hilde have all also recorded one assist each this season.
 
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN:
Portland State's 10-member freshmen class has made a significant impact on the 2014 season for the Vikings. Freshman forward Mackenzie Bean ranks tied for the team lead in scoring with two goals this season, while fellow freshman Maddie Prehoda has also scored already this season. Bean has also started all 10 matches for the Vikings this season, while Prehoda has started nine of the team's 10 matches. Additionally, freshman midfielder Katie Forsee has started nine of the team's 10 matches at the holding center midfielder position, while defender Dallas Malone has played in nine of the team's matches this season.
 
BIG SKY STATISTICAL LEADERS:
Junior goalkeeper Caitlin Plese, the reigning Big Sky co-Goalkeeper of the Year, ranks among the Big Sky leaders defensively again this season, as she ranks fourth in the conference in goals-against average (0.92), fifth in save percentage (.786) and tied for sixth in shutouts (2). Junior forward Tamia Hasan also ranks tied for fourth in the Big Sky in shots (26) and sixth in shots per match (2.60). Meanwhile, as a team, the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky in goals-against average (1.10), and tied for third in both goals allowed (12) and shutouts (3). The Vikings also rank fifth in the conference in corners per match (3.80), as well as sixth in total shots (117).
 
REWRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS:
Junior goalkeeper Caitlin Plese earned her 13th career shutout at Portland State in the Vikings' 1-0 win over Oregon on Sept. 12, moving her into sole possession of second place on the all-time list at Portland State. Plese now ranks just four shutouts behind all-time leader Cris Lewis, who set the record with 17 shutouts from 2006-09. Plese also moved up to sixth all time in goalkeeper wins with her performance against Oregon, and ranks second all-time in goals-against average at 0.76. Plese is not the only player on the verge of rewriting the Portland State record books, however, as junior midfielder/forward Cori Bianchini currently ranks ninth all-time in goals per game (0.18), and also ranks 10th all-time in points per game (0.47). Additionally, Bianchini has eight career goals, leaving her one short of moving into a tie with Juli Edwards (2004-07), Megan Plinski (2002-05) and Kala Renard (2008-11) for eighth all-time at Portland State. Senior defender Kayla Henningsen also has seven career goals at Portland State, leaving her just two goals short of moving into the all-time top 10 at Portland State.
 
RECORD BREAKERS:
The Vikings broke the Big Sky record for longest unbeaten streak at the start of the 2014 season, beating Utah Valley 1-0 in their season opener for their 14th straight match without a loss. That moved the Vikings past Weber State, which set the Big Sky record after going unbeaten over 13 straight matches during the 1998 season. The Vikings extended the streak to 16 matches with draws against Boise State and San Francisco, before their 5-0 loss to then-No. 21 California snapped it.
 
IT'S ALL ABOUT ALTITUDE:
The Vikings' matches against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend were both played at 5,800 feet of elevation or above. The Vikings and Lumberjacks played at over 7,000 feet of elevation, by far the highest elevation the Vikings will play at during the 2014 regular season. The Vikings have now played four matches at elevation this season, as the Vikings also played Colorado State on Sept. 5 at 5,004 feet, and played Texas Tech on Sept. 7 at about 3,200 feet. The Vikings will also play at elevation against Idaho State on Oct. 10 (4,462 feet) and Northern Colorado on Oct. 17 (4,658 feet).
 
END-OF-SEASON GOAL:
The Portland State women's soccer team has a clear agenda for its 2014 season: get to the NCAA Tournament. A tournament berth would be the Vikings' first in program history, and would likely come via a Big Sky Tournament title. If the Vikings can win the Big Sky Tournament this season, it would end a series of frustrating results for the Vikings in the conference tournament. The Vikings have never won the Big Sky Tournament despite winning four of the past five Big Sky regular-season titles, and six regular-season titles overall. The Vikings made the tournament final for just the second time in program history last season, but fell 3-0 in penalty kicks after finishing tied with Weber State after regulation and two overtime periods. Overall, the Vikings are 2-7-3 in Big Sky Tournament matches.
 
DEFENDING THE TITLE:
The Vikings enter the 2014 season as the three-time defending Big Sky champions after winning regular-season titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Vikings won their most recent title in their most convincing fashion yet, as they went unbeaten in the Big Sky Conference for the first time in program history. The Vikings won the Big Sky regular-season title in 2009 as well, giving them titles in four of the last five seasons. The Vikings should be well positioned to defend their title in 2014, too, as they return 10 starters from last season, as well as 17 letterwinners.
 
VIKINGS TABBED AS NARROW FAVORITES IN BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL:
Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings as slight favorites over Weber State in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' poll, released earlier this month. Both teams received five first-place votes in the poll, but the Vikings finished with one more point at 93 to Weber State's 92. Besides the Vikings and Wildcats, Northern Arizona picked up the remaining first-place vote to finish third in the poll with 86 points, while Northern Colorado (69), Montana (62), Idaho State (52), Sacramento State (51), Southern Utah (32), Idaho (29), Eastern Washington (27) and North Dakota (12) rounded out the poll.
 
HENNINGSON TWINS' SWAN SONG:
Senior defenders and twin sisters Kayla and Kelsey Henningsen enter their fourth and final year within the Portland State women's soccer program this season. The Henningsen twins, prized recruits when they came into the program, have seen unprecedented success since joining the Vikings, as neither has been on a team that didn't win at least a share of the Big Sky regular-season title, while both have also earned numerous individual honors during their PSU careers. Kayla was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP last season, while both Kayla and Kelsey were named All-Big Sky honorees (Kayla: 1st team; Kelsey: 2nd team). Additionally, both Kayla and Kelsey earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII second-team honors last season. Watch an interview with the Henningsens on their final season at Portland State here, or on the Vikings' YouTube channel.
 
NON-CONFERENCE TESTS:
The Vikings played a tough non-conference schedule in 2014, as four of the Vikings' eight non-conference opponents finished in the top half of their respective conferences last season. The Vikings also faced two 2013 NCAA Tournament participants in Texas Tech of the Big 12 and California of the Pac-12, leaving them well-tested for the upcoming Big Sky Conference schedule. Additionally, the Vikings have faced several individual stars during the non-conference schedule, as four of their opponents have members playing some level of international youth soccer.
           
Opposing players with national team camp or playing experience:

• Madalyn Schiffel, junior goalkeeper for San Francisco – U.S. U-20 Women's National Team
• Leticia Torres, junior defender for San Francisco – Chile U-20 Women's National Team
• Jaelene Hinkle, senior defender for Texas Tech – U.S. U-23 Women's National Team
• Janine Beckie, junior forward for Texas Tech – U.S. U-20 Women's National Team
• Bri Pugh, senior defender for Oregon – U.S. U-23 Women's National Team
• Marlo Sweatman, sophomore midfielder for Oregon – Jamaica U-20 Women's National Team

NEWCOMERS:
The Vikings added 10 incoming freshmen during the 2014 signing period, giving the team extra depth going into the season. Of the 10 incoming freshmen, the Vikings signed two goalkeepers, one defender, five midfielders and two forwards. The 10 freshmen also come from six different states between Oregon (3), California (2), Washington (2), Colorado (1), Arizona (1) and Illinois (1).
 
THORNS FC GOALKEEPER CRIS LEWIS RETURNS TO ALMA MATER AS VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT:
Cris Lewis, the all-time leader at Portland State in shutouts, saves and goalkeeper wins, will return this season as a volunteer assistant coach. Lewis, the 2009 Big Sky Defensive MVP, will work closely with this year's crop of goalkeepers, which includes 2013 Big Sky Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Caitlin Plese. Plese ranks just six shutouts behind Lewis on the all-time list at PSU, and could pass Lewis as Lewis coaches her this season. Since leaving PSU, Lewis has played off and on with Portland Thorns FC as an amateur. Lewis started the Thorns' match against the Chicago Red Stars on June 1, 2013.
 
2013 SEASON REVIEW:
The 2013 season was easily one of the best in program history, as the Vikings completed their first unbeaten run through the Big Sky Conference at 8-0-1, and advanced to the Big Sky Tournament final for just the second time in program history. The Vikings also set program records for shutouts (12) and goals-against average (0.76) during the season, and only gave up three goals to Big Sky opponents during the season, two of which were penalty kicks.