CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Vikings will gladly say goodbye to Cedar City, Utah.
 
A day after the Portland State football team had a comeback attempt against Southern Utah fall short on a late interception, a Thunderbird goal in overtime handed the Portland State women's soccer team a 3-2 loss, after the Vikings had erased a 2-0 deficit earlier in the match.
 
The loss for the Viking women's soccer team especially stung, as it marked the team's second overtime loss of the weekend. The Vikings (2-8-0, 0-2-0 Big Sky) also came back to force overtime after giving up the first goal of their match against Northern Arizona on Friday, but lost the match on a golden goal in the 93rd minute.
 
The Thunderbirds (2-6-1, 1-1-0 Big Sky) scored their game-winner in the 94th minute, as Logan Harker headed in a shot off a corner on Southern Utah's first chance of overtime.
 
The Vikings have come back within several matches this season, but haven't been able to complete any comeback as their opponents have either scored to retake or extend their leads. The Vikings first came back from a 3-0 deficit with two straight goals in their match against Gonzaga on Sept. 4, and then also scored a late goal in the first half against San Jose State on Sept. 18, cutting what had been a 2-0 deficit to a single goal at 2-1. Gonzaga and San Jose State extended their leads in the second half of both of those matches, however, rendering the Vikings' comeback attempts moot.
 
Friday's match against NAU was the first time the Vikings had come back to tie a match after giving up the first goal this season, while the Vikings upped that Sunday by coming back from two goals down against the Thunderbirds.
 
The Vikings had not come back to tie a match after giving up the first two goals since Oct. 9, 2011, when the Vikings came back to earn a 2-2 draw on the road against Montana.
 
Junior Rachel Michieli started the comeback for the Vikings Sunday, as she got on the end of a short clearance and fired a shot in the 13th minute that sailed over the SUU goalkeeper's head.
 
Michieli's goal came only 1:35 after the Thunderbirds scored their second goal, the ninth-fastest the Vikings have ever responded to an opposing team's goal in the Division I history of the program. Additionally, Michieli recorded her first career goal on the play.
 
Senior Aurora Bodenhamer then brought the Vikings level in the 48th minute, as she converted a cross from Morgan Matthews for her second goal of the season. Matthews' recorded her first assist of the season on the play, which also moved her into a tie for the team lead in points with Katie Forsee.
 
Southern Utah outshot the Vikings 8-4 after Bodenhamer's goal, however, and had a chance to beat the Vikings in regulation as the referee awarded Southern Utah its second penalty kick of the match in the 87th minute. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Abbie Faingold saved the penalty, though, preserving the tie and giving the Vikings a chance to win the match in overtime.
 
Forsee got a header off in the 92nd minute in overtime as well, but the shot went high, and the Thunderbirds struck for the decisive goal just a few minutes later.
 
The Vikings will hope for less heartbreak next weekend, as they return home for Big Sky matches against Eastern Washington and Montana. The Vikings host Eastern Washington at Hillsboro Stadium on Sept. 30, while Montana comes to town on Oct. 2. Both matches will kick off at 1 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fall to 3-2-1 all-time against Southern Utah with Sunday's loss, as well as 2-2-1 all-time in Big Sky matches…The Vikings were playing their second straight match at elevation Sunday, as they played Northern Arizona at over 7,000 feet of elevation Friday, and played Southern Utah at over 5,000 feet of elevation.