Complete Match Notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — What a difference a week makes.
 
Last week, the Portland State women's soccer team was coming off a pair of overtime losses to start Big Sky play, and were returning home to face Big Sky leader Eastern Washington.
 
Now, having drawn 0-0 with the league-leading Eagles last Friday and following it with a 1-0 win over Montana on Sunday, the Vikings are coming off their first four-point conference weekend since 2014, and looking to move in the Big Sky standings with matches against Idaho State and Idaho this weekend.
 
The Vikings will face a split, home-and-away weekend against the Bengals and Vandals, as they play Idaho State at 4 p.m. (MT) Friday in Pocatello, Idaho, before returning home to face Idaho at 1 p.m. (PT) Sunday.
 
The Vikings' matches against the Bengals and Vandals represent an opportunity for the Vikings to move up the Big Sky table, as both the Bengals and Vandals currently stand ahead of the Vikings in the conference standings.
 
The Bengals stand just ahead of the Vikings at fourth with six points in Big Sky play, two points ahead of the Vikings, who moved into a tie for sixth with their four-point weekend last week.
 
The Bengals, like the Vikings, are coming off a resurgent weekend last week, as they swept North Dakota and Northern Colorado for their first weekend conference sweep since 2012. The sweep snapped a 12-match conference losing streak for the Bengals, who went winless at 0-10-0 in Big Sky play last season.
 
The Bengals lost 2015 Big Sky Golden Boot winner Maria Sanchez off last year's team, but have been a better team without her so far in 2016. Sanchez scored or assisted on 19 of the team's 24 goals last season, while the Bengals' attack has been more balanced this season with eight different players accounting for the team's 19 goals so far in 2016.
 
Both the Bengals and Vandals will challenge the Vikings' resurgent defense, which finished with back-to-back shutouts against Eastern Washington and Montana last weekend, the Vikings' first consecutive shutouts of conference opponents since Oct. 10 and 12, 2014, respectively.
 
Both the Bengals and Vandals represent two of the top three offensive teams in the Big Sky this season, with the Vandals a close second in the Big Sky in points (63) and goals (22), while also ranking tied with Eastern Washington for the Big Sky lead in assists (19). The Bengals, meanwhile, rank third in goals (19) and goals per game (1.36), and tied for fourth in assists (10).
 
Like the Bengals, the Vandals also rank ahead of the Vikings in the Big Sky standings currently, as they stand tied for second in the conference with nine points through their first four conference matches.
 
The Vandals lost their first Big Sky match since 2014 on the opening weekend of Big Sky play, when they lost 2-1 in overtime to Eastern Washington on a penalty kick with 34 seconds left in the first overtime period.
 
The Vandals returned all 11 starters from their 2015 team that went unbeaten in Big Sky play at 9-0-1 last season, becoming the first team to ever win nine Big Sky matches in a single season.
 
The Vikings will certainly have their hands full against the Vandals, as well as the Bengals, but the Vikings faced similar challenges in facing the Eagles and Grizzlies – both of whom also returned 11 starters off their 2015 teams – last weekend. The Vikings aced those tests last weekend, and with another strong weekend against the Bengals and Vandals, will put themselves in a good position within the Big Sky Conference standings.
 
MATCH INFO:
Oct. 7, 2016 – 4 p.m. (MT) – at Idaho State – Pocatello, Idaho (Davis Field)
Oct. 9, 2016 – 1 p.m. (PT) – vs. Idaho – Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
 
LIVE AUDIO:
A live audio stream will be available for the Vikings' road match against Idaho State on Friday. Fans can access the audio stream via the women's soccer schedule page on GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO:
A live video stream will be available for the Vikings' home match against Idaho on Sunday. Fans can access the video stream via the women's soccer schedule page on GoViks.com.
 
LIVE STATS:
Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend. Fans can access live stats via the women's soccer schedule page on GoViks.com.
 
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE:
• The Idaho State Bengals (5-9-0, 2-2-0 Big Sky) have been a resurgent team so far in 2016, after going 0-10-0 in Big Sky play and 1-17-1 overall last season.
• The Bengals had their best weekend in conference play since 2012 with a weekend sweep of Northern Colorado and North Dakota last weekend. The Bengals beat North Dakota, 2-1 Friday, and then broke out with a 6-2 win over Northern Colorado – the defending Big Sky tournament champion – on Sunday. The Bengals' six goals against the Bengals were the most the Bengals have scored in a match since scoring seven goals in a match at Southern Utah on Oct. 6, 2007. The weekend sweep came on the heels of a five-match losing streak that included a pair of shutout losses to Eastern Washington and Montana to open Big Sky play on Sept. 23 and 25, respectively.
• The Bengals lost 2015 Big Sky Golden Boot Winner Maria Sanchez off of last year's team, and returned just six starters from last year's team that went winless in Big Sky play. One of the Bengals' returners, Nikolina Musto, leads the Bengals with 12 points this season, and ranks tied with freshman Michaela Didericksen for the team lead with five goals scored this season. Another freshman, Jazmin Lopez, also leads the Bengals with three assists this season, one ahead of Musto and another returner, Tristen Spooner.
• The Bengals rank as one of the Big Sky's best offensive teams this season, as they rank third in the conference in points (48), goals (19) and goals per game (1.36), and rank tied for fourth in the Big Sky in assists (10). Individually, Musto ranks tied for third in the Big Sky in points (12), while Musto and Didericksen each rank tied for second in goals with five each. Lopez also ranks tied for third in the Big Sky with three assists, while Musto and Spooner rank tied for 10th in the Big Sky with two assists each.
• The Bengals have struggled more defensively, as they rank ninth in the Big Sky in goals-against average (2.13), and last in the conference in goals allowed (30). Individually, Shawna Hennings has started 13 of the Bengals' 14 matches this season, with Katie Hogarth starting the other match for the Bengals. Hennings leads the two with a 1.96 goals-against average, which ranks her ninth individually in the Big Sky this season.
• Idaho State has been a better team at home than on the road this season, as the Bengals are 4-5-0 at home, but just 1-4-0 away from home.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS IDAHO STATE:
The Vikings lead their all-time series against the Bengals, 10-8-1, and have won nine of the last 10 matches in the series. The Vikings have won their last five matches against the Bengals in Pocatello, Idaho, where they haven't lost a match since 2004.
 
SCOUTING IDAHO:
• The Idaho Vandals (6-4-2, 3-1-0 Big Sky) went unbeaten against Big Sky opponents last seasn, as they became the first team to win nine Big Sky matches while winning the Big Sky regular-season title with a 9-0-1 conference record in 2015. The Vandals advanced to the Big Sky championship match, as well, but fell to Northern Colorado in penalty kicks after the teams tied, 1-1, in the final.
• The Vandals lost their first Big Sky match since 2014 with a 2-1, overtime loss to Eastern Washington on Sept. 25 earlier this season. The Vandals lost that match on a penalty kick with 34 seconds left in the first overtime period, after the Vandals tied the match on an 86th-minute penalty kick.
• The Vandals rebounded from their first conference loss since 2014 with two big wins last weekend, as they beat Northern Colorado and North Dakota at home. The Vandals exacted revenge over the Bears with a 2-0 win last Friday, and then exploded for a 5-1 win over North Dakota last Sunday. The Vandals' five goals against the Fighting Hawks were the most the team had scored in a match since a 5-0 win over Nevada on Sept. 22, 2000.
• The Vandals returned all 11 starters from their Big Sky title-winning 2015 team, including all five of their All-Big Sky first-team selections in goalkeeper Amanda Poertner, defenders Amanda Pease and Josilyn Daggs, midfielder Alyssa Lloyd and forward Kavita Battan. Poertner, who was also named the Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015, lost her starting job to senior Torell Stewart, however, as Stewart has played every minute in goal for the Vandals so far this season. The Vandals also return All-Big Sky second-team selections Olivia Baggerly and Clara Gomez this season.
• The Vandals rank a close second in the Big Sky offensively, as they rank second to Eastern Washington in goals scored with 22, one behind the Eagles at 23. Additionally, the Eagles and Vandals rank tied for the conference lead in assists (19), while the Eagles edge the Vandals by just two points for the conference lead in points (EWU 65; Idaho 63).
• Elexis Schlossarek leads the Vandals in goals (5), assists (4) and points (14). Schlossarek ranks second to Eastern Washington's Chloe Williams within the Big Sky in points with 14, one behind Williams' total of 15, while Schlossarek ranks tied for second behind Williams in goals scored, and second behind Eastern Washington's Aimie Inthoulay in assists.
• Schlossarek leads the Big Sky in points in conference matches, however, as she leads the Big Sky with eight points on three goals and two assists. Schlossarek's teammates Emma Eddy and Battan also rank third and tied for fourth, respectively, in points in conference matches with six and five, respectively. Additionally, Schlossarek and Eddy rank tied for the conference lead in goals scored in conference play so far with three each, while Scholssarek, Gomez and Daggs rank tied for the conference lead in assists in conference play with two each.
• Battan ranks second on the team with nine points overall on four goals and one assists, while Eddy and Kayla Watanabe rank tied for third on the team with six points on three goals each.
• The Vandals rank fourth in the Big Sky with a 1.12 goals-against average this season, and rank fourth in the conference in goals allowed (14). Stewart, who has taken over in goal from Poertner last season, ranks fourth in the Big Sky individually with a 1.12 goals-against average, and also ranks sixth in save percentage (.774).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERUS IDAHO:
The Vikings trail, 4-6-0, in their all-time series against the Vandals, though the teams are tied 1-1-0 in conference matches since the Vandals rejoined the Big Sky Conference in 2014. The Vikings lost 1-0 on the road last season, but won the first Big Sky match between the two teams with a 3-1 home win in 2014.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Vikings had their best weekend of the season last week, as they shut out both Eastern Washington and Montana while earning four points between a 0-0 draw with the Eagles on Friday, and a 1-0 win over the Grizzlies on Sunday. The back-to-back shutouts marked the Vikings' first consecutive shutouts of conference opponents since they won a pair of 1-0 matches over Idaho State and Weber State on Oct. 10 and 12, 2014, respectively. Additionally, the four points marked the most points the Vikings earned in a conference weekend since earning four points on a road trip to Northern Colorado and North Dakota on Oct. 17 and 19, 2014, respectively. The Vikings became just the second team to shut out the Eagles this season, and just the second Big Sky team to do so since the start of the 2015 season. The Vikings held the Big Sky leading scorer and 2015 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year Chloe Williams without a shot in the match, and held the Eagles to just four shots, half the total of their previous season low of eight. The Viking defense was just as good against the Grizzlies on Sunday, especially in the second half, when the Vikings held the Grizzlies to just two shots, including just one after the Vikings went up 1-0 in the 71st minute. The Viking offense, meanwhile, broke out in the second half behind high pressure that ultimately resulted in the game-winning goal for senior Aurora Bodenhamer in the 71st minute. Junior Katie Forsee initialized the play that led to Bodenhamer's game-winner, as she charged Montana's goalkeeper on a back-pass, forcing an early clearance from the keeper that Bodenhamer body-blocked and shot in for the goal.
 
UPCOMING:
The Vikings head back out on the road for their final road trip of the regular season next weekend. The final road trip is a doozy for the Vikings, though, as they head to Greeley, Colo., for a late match against Northern Colorado Friday night, before traveling up north to Grand Forks, N.D., for an early match against North Dakota Sunday morning. The Vikings kick off against the Bears at 7 p.m. (MT) Friday, and kick off against the Fighting Hawks just over 36 hours later at 11 a.m. (CT) Sunday.
 
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Vikings have had better luck at home than they have on the road so far this season, as the Vikings are 2-2-1 at home, but just 1-6-0 on the road. The Vikings have been in every match at home so far this season as well, as their two home losses came by just a single goal, including the team's 4-3 loss to Fresno State on Sept. 2 – a match where the Vikings led 2-0 at halftime. Additionally, the Vikings' defense has performed significantly better at home so far this season, as the Vikings have a 0.97 goals-against average at home, while starting goalkeeper Abbie Faingold has only allowed one goal at home and has a 0.27 goals-against average in home matches. In comparison, the Vikings have a 3.40 goals-against average as a team in road matches this season, while Faingold has allowed 22 road goals and has a 3.36 individual goals-against average in road matches.
 
MOYER NAMED BIG SKY DEFENSIVE POTW AS DEFENSE RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS:
Redshirt junior defender Kristin Moyer picked up her first career Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor Tuesday after leading the Vikings to back-to-back shutouts against Eastern Washington and Montana last weekend. The back-to-back shutouts marked the team's first consecutive shutouts of conference opponents since the Vikings won a pair of 1-0 matches over Idaho State and Weber State on Oct. 10 and 12, 2014, respectively. Moyer and the Viking defense became just the second team this season to shut out the Eagles, who came into the match as the Big Sky's top offensive team. The Eagles also featured 2015 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and the conference-leading goal scorer in Chloe Williams, who Moyer and the Viking defense held without a shot in their match Friday. As a team, the Vikings held the Eagles to just four shots, half the total of their previous season low of eight. Moyer and the Viking defense were just as good in the second half against Montana on Sunday, as they held the Grizzlies to just two shots after halftime, including just one shot as Montana searched for an equalizer after the Viking scored in the 71st minute.
 
STRONG OFFENSE:
The Vikings had a five-match scoring streak snapped in their 0-0 draw with Eastern Washington Friday, but the Vikings' offense has still been a bright spot for the team this season. Aurora Bodenhamer's game-winner against Montana gave the Vikings 13 goals this season, matching the total the team scored during the entire 2015 season. Additionally, the Vikings have scored multiple goals in four matches this season, already more than during the entire 2015 season. The Vikings' strong start offensively has them ranked tied for fifth in the Big Sky in goals scored (13) and tied for sixth in goals per match (1.08), while Bodenhamer, Katie Forsee and Morgan Matthews rank tied for 10th in the conference with three goals each.
 
BY THE HAMMER OF BODEN:
Senior midfielder/forward Aurora Bodenhamer took over sole possession of ninth all-time with her 10th career goal while scoring the game-winner in the Vikings' 1-0 win over Montana Sunday. Bodenhamer's 10 career goals rank one behind Julie Forrest (2001-04) and Katie Miyake (2002-04), who rank tied for seventh all-time with 11 career goals. Bodenhamer's goal against Montana also moved her into a tie with Katie Forsee and Morgan Matthews for the team lead in goals (3) and points (7) this season, a season after she led the Vikings in both categories with five goals and 11 points in 2015. All five of Bodenhamer's goals last season came in Big Sky play, ranking one off the single-season record for conference goals by a Viking. Bodenhamer scored two goals in two different matches last season, including both goals in the Vikings' 2-1, overtime win over Southern Utah. Bodenhamer was named an All-Big Sky honorable mention after the season, the first all-conference honor of her career.
 
THE FORCE-EE IS WITH THE VIKINGS:
The force is strong with junior Katie Forsee, who ranks tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (7) this season after missing the team's first two matches due to injury. Forsee's three goals this season are more than she scored in her freshman and sophomore seasons combined, and rank her tied for second on the team in career goals with five. Forsee is also unquestionably the team's most versatile player, as she fluctuates in-game between the Vikings' attack and defense. Forsee also spent time at every position, save goalkeeper, last season, when she was named an All-Big Sky honorable mention.
 
NO, NOT ALEX MORGAN, WE'LL TAKE MORGAN MATTHEWS:
Sophomore Morgan Matthews became just the 33rd player in school history to score in back-to-back matches, after scoring against Nevada and Colorado state on Sept. 11 and 16, respectively. Matthews, who ranks tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (7), has now scored five goals in her young Portland State career, all in just 29 matches played. That rate gives Matthews an average of a goal every 5.8 matches, by far the best scoring rate of any player on the team. By comparison, senior Aurora Bodenhamer – the active career leader in goals scored for the Vikings – averages a goal every 6.6 matches with 10 goals in 66 career matches played. Additionally, Matthews scored both her goals as a freshman in the last six matches of the season, meaning her five career goals have all come in her last 18 matches for the Vikings, going back to last season. Additionally, Matthews' three goals this season rank her tied for 10th in scoring within the Big Sky Conference, along with teammates Katie Forsee and Aurora Bodenhamer.
 
IRON WOMAN:
Trains should run their schedules off the Vikings' Kristin Moyer because she's just that reliable on the Vikings' back line. The redshirt junior defender has not missed a minute of action in nine of the Vikings' 12 matches so far this season, and has only missed a total of 34 minutes in the other three matches combined. For her career, Moyer has missed playing time in just eight matches, and did not miss a minute of any match last season. Additionally, Moyer has started all 49 matches of her career, giving her a chance to break the school records for career starts and minutes played if she stays healthy over her final two seasons of eligibility. Moyer has a better chance to break the school record in minutes played if she stays healthy, as her 4,377 career minutes played rank more than two-thirds of the way to Juli Edwards' current record of 6,224, and Moyer still has a season and a half of eligibility remaining. To break the record for career starts, meanwhile, Moyer would likely need the Vikings to make the Big Sky tournament during both her junior and senior seasons, or make an extended postseason run in one or the other. If she starts every match this season and the Vikings do not make the Big Sky tournament, then Moyer will finish the year with 55 career starts, 19 behind the current record shared by Nathalie Wollman and Dolly Enneking at 74. The Vikings have played 18 matches in the regular season in each of the past three seasons, meaning Moyer will likely need to pick up a start or two in the postseason somewhere to either tie or break the record.
 
DE RAMOS SPENDS TIME WITH THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL TEAM:
Sophomore midfielder/forward Krystal de Ramos played with the Philippines National Team at the AFF Women's Championship over the summer. De Ramos earned her first cap on July 26, when she was inserted into the starting XI for the team's match against Thailand. De Ramos also started in the Philippines' 2-0 win over Singapore on July 30.
 
TOUGH ROAD SCHEDULE:
The Vikings face a tough road schedule in 2016, as they play four of their five Big Sky road matches at 4,000 feet of elevation or above. The Vikings will open Big Sky play on their toughest road trip of the season, playing at Northern Arizona (7,000 feet above sea level) and Southern Utah (5,000 fee above sea level) within 36 hours. The Vikings will also travel more than 3,500 miles as they play at Northern Colorado and North Dakota on Oct. 14 and 16, respectively.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT:
The Vikings brought in 10 true freshmen during the offseason, and added a transfer from South Carolina in sophomore forward/midfielder Jacky Huchler. The Vikings will rely on their young players frequently during the season, as freshmen or sophomores make up 18 of the team's 26-player roster. Additionally, all four of the Vikings' goalkeepers are freshmen or sophomores, and none of them had started a match for the Vikings before the season. Redshirt sophomore Abbie Faingold was the only goalkeeper to have seen action for the Vikings before this season, as she made her Portland State debut last season while playing the final 27:07 in the Vikings' match at Weber State.
 
2015 SEASON RECAP:
Injuries and inexperience led the Vikings to a disappointing 2015 campaign that saw their seven-year streak of making the Big Sky tournament snapped. The Vikings finished the season 5-13-0 overall and 3-7-0 in Big Sky play. Goal scoring was an issue all season, as the Vikings scored only 13 goals, the lowest total of any season under head coach Laura Schott. The Vikings also only shut out two opponents during the season, and had the highest goals-against average (1.65) of any Viking team under Schott.