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HILLSBORO, Ore. — Facing the Big Sky's top team at home for the second time in as many weeks, it looked like the Portland State women's soccer team's home mojo was going to work for them once again when redshirt junior Kristin Moyer scored to put the Vikings up 1-0 on the Idaho Vandals in the 32nd minute. However, a pair of mistakes in the penalty box in the second half cost the Vikings, as the league-leading Vandals came back behind two second-half goals to beat the Vikings 2-1 Sunday at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The Vikings (3-10-1, 1-4-1 Big Sky) had been in a similar situation last Friday, when Eastern Washington came to Hillsboro Stadium with the conference's best record, and the Vikings shut them out to earn a 0-0 draw with the Eagles. The Vikings followed it up with a 1-0 win over Montana as well, giving them a three-match unbeaten streak at home and 2-2-1 home record going into their match against the Vandals.
 
The Vandals (8-4-2, 5-1-0) broke through that home mojo Sunday, however, as they scored on a 47th-minute penalty kick and a 57th-minute indirect free kick from six yards out to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit against the Vikings.
 
"I'm proud of our players for playing hard through adversity today," PSU head coach Laura Schott said after the match.
 
The Vikings gave up the penalty kick to the Vandals less than 90 second out of halftime on a hard foul in the box. Idaho's Elexis Schlossarek converted the penalty kick for the Vandals, leveling the match at 1-1.
 
The Vandals kept pressing from there, and got their second golden chance for a goal 10 minutes later when the referee awarded them an indirect free kick just outside the six-yard box. The Vandals got the call when Viking goalkeeper Abbie Faingold picked up a back pass from a Viking defender as an Idaho player put high pressure on her.
 
The Vandals put together a nifty play on the indirect free kick, as Schlossarek kicked it initially off of teammate Clara Gomez's foot, making the ball eligible to be shot from there. Schlossarek's ball found Idaho's Kelly Dopke at the goal line on the back post, and Dopke sent a quick back-heeled shot into the net for the goal.
 
The Vikings pushed for an equalizer from there, but Idaho kept them out of goal to preserve their win.
 
Moyer's goal also came on a set piece, as she scored on a direct free kick to put the Vikings up initially in the match. Moyer took the free kick just outside the box and sent a hard shot across the ground that ducked under the Vandals' wall, which jumped on the play as they anticipated a cross in the air.
 
The goal marked the first career goal for Moyer, who has predominately played at center back for the Vikings throughout her career.
 
Moyer sent another hard, low shot on another direct free kick deep in the attacking third in the 52nd minute. Idaho goalkeeper Torell Stewart tracked the ball coming through her wall this time, however, and made a diving catch to keep Moyer from recording a brace.
 
Junior Katie Forsee also had a good look a potential second goal for the Vikings in the 40th minute, as she headed a ball on frame off a corner from freshman Liv Jillings. Stewart read that shot too, though, and saved it to keep her team within a goal at the time.
 
The Vikings will now need to solve their road woes if they are going to make a run at a potential spot in the Big Sky tournament. The Vikings are just 1-7-0 on the road this season, and head out on their final road trip of the regular season next weekend.  The Vikings play at Northern Colorado Friday at 7 p.m. (MT), and then face a quick turn-around as they play at North Dakota Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT).
 
If the Vikings can get some positive results out of those matches, then the Vikings close the season with two straight home matches, and possibly the Vikings' home mojo will be restored by then.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fall to 4-7-0 all-time against Idaho with Sunday's loss…The Vikings also fall to 1-2-0 all-time in Big Sky matches against Idaho…Idaho was coming off two straight 5-1 wins going into Sunday's match.