Complete Match Notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — After a rough match last Friday, the Portland State women's soccer team would be wise to find inspiration from the old British Bulldog spirit – well, except for this week, when the Vikings face a pair of Bulldog teams in Fresno State and Gonzaga in a split, home-and-away weekend. The Vikings take on the Fresno State Bulldogs at home at 1 p.m. Friday, before they hit the road for a match against the Gonzaga Bulldogs Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
The Vikings will be coming off a 6-0 loss to the cross-town Portland Pilots last Friday, a match in which the Vikings showed their youth while falling behind early. The Vikings played 16 of their 18 underclassmen in the match, with only true freshmen goalkeepers Hanalyn Sypher and Shannon Peth missing the match. Additionally, the Vikings started four freshmen against the Pilots, including three on a back line that was playing in front of a goalkeeper making her first career start.
 
The Vikings will only continue to mature as the season goes on, however, and only need to look as far back as 2013 for a similarly young Vikings team that made dramatic improvements over the latter half of its season. Like this season's Vikings, the 2013 Vikings had 18 underclassmen on their 26-player roster, and struggled at the start of the year. The 2013 Vikings lost their first three matches by a combined score of 11-2, but then finished the season 12-1-3 – including an unbeaten 8-0-1 mark in Big Sky play – while outscoring their opponents 29-4.
 
The young Vikings have also been victim to tough scheduling at the start of the season, as the team's first opponent of the season, CSUN, beat them 3-0 last season, while the Vikings had never beaten or scored on their cross-town rivals in the Portland Pilots. Fresno State and Gonzaga represent two opponents facing similar struggles to the Vikings, however, as they are both coming off losing seasons in 2015.
 
Fresno State went 5-12-1 last season, and has start this season 0-3-0 while giving up 10 goals so far. Fresno State has struggled defensively over the past two seasons, as their 10 goals allowed rank last in the Mountain West Conference, a year after Fresno State allowed 42 goals to rank last in the conference by nine goals.
 
Gonzaga, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-12-5 season in 2015, but has started 2016 with some strong results already. Gonzaga beat Nevada 1-0 to start its season, and then beat Washington State by the same score last Sunday, three days after the Cougars beat then-No. 13 Santa Clara. Gonzaga also tied 2015 Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho, 2-2.
 
Additionally, this weekend's matches will offer up more first tests of the season for the young Vikings, as it will be the team's first two-match weekend for the team's 10 freshmen, as well as the first home-and-away weekend of the season. Home-and-away weekends have become more popular for the Vikings ever since Idaho rejoined the conference before the 2014 season, pushing the conference to an uneven 11 teams. The Vikings have mixed results over home-and-away weekends since 2014, as the team won both matches of a home-and-away weekend against Idaho State and Weber State in 2014, but then lost the second match of both home-and-away weekends they played in 2015.
 
The Vikings will end this weekend's home-and-away schedule on the road with their match against the Bulldogs, which will also be the Vikings' first match outside of the Portland area this season. Before the young Vikings get to that match, though, they'll look to break through against their first Bulldog opponent of the weekend, with the Vikings kicking off against Fresno State at 1 p.m. (PT) Friday at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
MATCH INFO:
Sept. 2, 2016 – 1 p.m. – vs. Fresno State – Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
Sept. 4, 2016 – 12 p.m. – at Gonzaga – Spokane, Wash. (Luger Field)
 
LIVE VIDEO:
A live video stream will be available for both matches this weekend. Fans can access the both streams 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 FRESNO STATE:
• The Fresno State Bulldogs (0-3-0) have had a tough start to their season, with three straight losses to UCSB, Cal State Bakersfield and No. 20 Pepperdine. The Bulldogs came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie UCSB in their season opener, but then gave up a golden goal early in the second overtime period to drop the match, 3-2. The Bulldogs also nearly came back after falling behind 3-0 to Cal State Bakersfield, as they drew within one at 3-2 after scoring two goals after the 70th minute. The Roadrunners scored an insurance goal in the 90th minute, however, to seal a 4-2 win.
• The Bulldogs also lost an exhibition to Sacramento State, 1-0, despite dominating the match throughout. The Bulldogs outshot the Hornets 20-4, and also held huge advantages in shots on goal (10-1) and corner kicks (12-3).
• The Bulldogs return nine starters off a team that went 5-12-1 and finished ninth in the Mountain West at 4-6-1 in conference play last season. Among the returners, junior forward Myra Delgadillo and junior midfielder Maria Gomez both return after earning second-team All-Mountain West honors in 2015. Delgadillo led the Bulldogs with six goals and 14 points last season, and also tied four other players for the team lead with two assists.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Marie Berwinkel-Kottmann returns to the starting lineup after making 10 starts as a freshman last season. Berwinkel-Kottmann started nine of the Bulldogs' 11 conference matches last season, and recorded three shutouts out of her nine starts.
• The Bulldogs struggled defensively last season, ranking last in the Mountain West in goals allowed with 42, nine more than the second-to-last team. The Bulldogs also rank last in goals allowed so far this season, as they've let in 10 goals over their first three matches of the season.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS FRESNO STATE:
The Vikings have never beaten Fresno State, having lost all four of their previous matches against the Bulldogs. The Vikings and Bulldogs have only played twice since 1997, however, and last faced each other in 2008.
 
SCOUTING GONZAGA:
• The Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-1-1) have had a strong start to their season, with wins over Washington State (1-0) and Nevada (1-0), and a 2-2 draw with 2015 Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho. The Bulldogs beat the Washington State Cougars three days after the Cougars had beaten then-No. 13 Santa Clara. The Bulldogs' lone loss came, 2-1, to Oregon in a tournament in Hawaii on the opening weekend of the season.
• The Bulldogs' two wins in 2016 already match the team's entire win total in 2015, when they went 2-12-5 overall and placed 10th in the West Coast Conference at 1-7-1 in conference play.
• The Bulldogs return 18 letterwinners and seven starters from last season, including Karley Baggerly, who earned All-WCC second-team honors after ranking second in the conference with eight goals during the regular season. Baggerly also scored the 19th goal of her career earlier this season, tying her for third all-time at the school.
• The Bulldogs lost redshirt senior goalkeeper Christie Tombari to graduation, after Tombari started all 19 matches for the Bulldogs last season. Redshirt junior Sarah Swanson has stepped in nicely to start the 2016 season, as she's recorded two shutouts in four starts so far, and carries a 0.95 goals-against average going into the weekend.
• The Bulldogs' five goals scored so far this season have all come from different players, and four players also account for the team's five assists. Senior defender Sarah Carter leads the team with four points on one goal and two assists, and scored the game-winner in the Bulldgos' season opener against Nevada.
• The Bulldogs will play Eastern Washington at home the Friday before they play the Vikings.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS GONZAGA:
Gonzaga leads their all-time series versus the Vikings, 9-3-2. The Bulldogs are unbeaten on their home field in the series, having won seven of eight matches against the Vikings in Spokane and tying the other. The Vikings and Bulldogs have not played each other since 2010, however, when Gonzaga beat the Vikings 1-0 in Spokane.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Vikings had a tough go of it last Friday, as their cross-town rival, the Portland Pilots, beat them 6-0 on the Pilots' home field. The Pilots put the Vikings in a hole early, as they scored two goals within two minutes of each other to put the Vikings down 2-0 after only seven minutes of play. The Pilots added a third goal in the 14th minute to make it 3-0, and then tacked on another in the 31st minute to make it a four-goal match by halftime. The Pilots then scored two more goals near the start of the second half, as Hannah Griffiths Boston scored back-to-back goals in the 54th and 56th minutes, completing a hat trick for the junior, and putting the finishing touches on the Pilots' win. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ashton Blanksma was a bright spot for the Vikings in the second half of the match, after she subbed on at the break. Blanksma made three saves in the half, while only one of the two goals she allowed came on a penalty kick.
 
UPCOMING:
The Vikings remain on the road for matches at UC Davis and Nevada next weekend. The Vikings play UC Davis at 4 p.m. (PT) next Friday, then head east for their match at Nevada at 1 p.m. (PT) next Sunday.
 
TWO-HEADED GOALKEEPER:
Redshirt freshman Ashton Blanksma and redshirt sophomore Abbie Faingold have split time in goal for the Vikings this season. Blanksma had started both the Vikings' exhibition against Oregon and first counting match against CSUN, but Faingold started the Vikings' match against Portland last Friday. No matter the match, neither goalkeeper has played more than a half, as the other has subbed on at halftime each time. Neither Blanksma nor Faingold had started a match before the season, and only Faingold had ever played for the Vikings, after she played the last 27:07 of the team's match against Weber State last season.
 
IRON WOMAN:
One casualty of the Vikings' 6-0 loss to Portland was redshirt junior defender Kristin Moyer's 22-match streak of not missing a minute of action was snapped. Moyer got subbed out in the 69th minute, the first time she had been subbed out of a Portland State match since Oct. 19, 2013. Moyer did not miss a single minute of any match last season, and led the Vikings' field players in minutes as a freshman in 2013. For her career, Moyer has played 3,463 minutes, and may approach the top 10 all-time in minutes played at Portland State by the end of this year. With sustained good health, Moyer could challenge for the career record for minutes played, which Juli Edwards set at 6,224 from 2004-07.
 
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.
 
BY THE HAMMER OF BODEN:
Senior midfielder/forward Aurora Bodenhamer returns to the Vikings after leading the team with five goals scored last season. Bodenhamer's five goals all came in Big Sky play, and ranked 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.
 
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.
 
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.