Complete Match Notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — Promising, heartbreaking, encouraging, frustrating – the Portland State women's soccer team had a roller-coaster first weekend of Big Sky play on the road against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend.
 
The Vikings made a pair of comebacks to force overtime in both matches, but wound up with a pair of overtime losses in the end.
 
The Vikings came back from a two-goal deficit against Southern Utah, the first time the Vikings had done that in a match since overcoming a 2-0 deficit to tie Montana, 2-2, on Oct. 9, 2011. More impressively, the Vikings came back against the Thunderbirds after giving up two goals in the first 11 minutes of play, putting them in a hole early. Most teams could have packed it in at that point, but a quick response from Rachel Michieli in the 13th minute put the Vikings back in it. Senior Aurora Bodenhamer then scored the game-tying goal in the 48th minute, her ninth career goal that moved her into a tie for ninth all-time at Portland State.
 
Southern Utah scored the game-winner in the 94th minute, however, negating the Vikings' comeback and handing the Vikings their second straight overtime loss to start Big Sky play.
 
The losses stung, but the Vikings can still take away positives from the weekend, starting with the Vikings' offensive performances, which have been strong all season.
 
The Vikings have scored in five straight matches going in the weekend, tying the seventh-longest scoring streak in program history. Additionally, the Vikings' 12 goals this season rank them tied for third in goals scored (12) and goals per match (1.20), while Katie Forsee and Morgan Matthews rank tied for ninth in the conference in points with seven each.
 
The Vikings' offense will face a pair of tough challenges this weekend, however, as Eastern Washington and Montana represent two of the better defensive teams in the conference this season. Montana leads the Big Sky with five shutouts this season, while Eastern Washington ranks tied for second behind them with four.
 
Eastern Washington also comes to Hillsboro Stadium as the conference leader after beating defending Big Sky regular-season champion and preseason favorite Idaho in a top-of-the-table battle last weekend. The Eagles beat Idaho on a 100th-minute penalty kick, handing the Vandals their first loss in Big Sky play since 2014.
 
The Eagles also feature two of the best offensive players in the Big Sky this season in Chloe Williams and Aimie Inthoulay. Williams – the 2015 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection – leads the Big Sky with seven goals this season, while Inthoulay leads the Big Sky with nine assists, six more than any other player in the conference this season.
 
Williams, Inthoulay and the rest of the Eagles come to town Friday, while the Vikings will host Montana on Sunday. Both matches will kick off at 1 p.m. (PT) at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
MATCH INFO:
Sept. 30, 2016 – 1 p.m. (PT) – vs. Eastern Washington – Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
Oct. 2, 2016 – 1 p.m. (PT) – vs. Montana – Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
 
LIVE VIDEO:
A live video stream will be available for both matches this season. Fans can access the 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 EASTERN WASHINGTON:
• The Eastern Washington Eagles (8-1-1, 2-0-0 Big Sky) – picked second in the Big Sky preseason poll – won both of their matches during the first weekend of Big Sky play, including a 2-1 win at home over preseason favorite and defending Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho. The Eagles beat the Vandals in overtime on a penalty kick with 34 seconds left in the first overtime period.
• The Eagles returned all 11 starters from a team that finished third in the Big Sky at 6-2-2, putting the Eagles in the Big Sky tournament for the second straight season after they had missed the tournament in each of the previous four seasons.
• The Eagles have been on a steady rise under third-year head coach Chad Bodnar. The Eagles went 3-15-0 overall and 1-8-0 in Big Sky play in 2013, the last year under longtime head coach George Hageage. Since then, the Eagles have gone 8-9-0 overall and 5-5-0 in Big Sky play in 2014 and 12-4-3 overall and 6-2-2 in Big Sky play in 2015 under Bodner, and have started this season at 8-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in Big Sky play.
• The Eagles lead the Big Sky in goals (22 – seven more than second-place Idaho with 15), points (62) and assists (18), and rank tied for second in shutouts (4) and fourth in goals-against average (1.05).
• Junior forward Chloe Williams, a two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection and the 2015 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, leads the Eagles with seven goals so far this season. Williams also leads the Big Sky in points (15), points per game (1.50), goals (7) and goals per game (0.70), and ranks tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals (4).
• Junior midfielder Aimie Inthoulay leads the Eagles and the Big Sky with nine assists this season. For comparison's sake, five players rank tied for second in the Big Sky behind Inthoulay with only three assists each, six assists behind Inthoulay.
• Junior forward Savannah Hoekstra, an All-Big Sky second-team selection in 2015, ranks tied with Inthoulay for second on the team in total points with nine on four goals and one assist.
• The Eagles also return 2015 All-Big Sky second-team selections in defenders M'Kenna Hayes and Laci Rennaker, as well as midfielder Jenny Chavez.
• The Eagles have shuffled around their goalkeepers a bit, though Mallory Taylor has started eight of the team's 10 matches, including the two Big Sky matches last weekend. Taylor ranks second to Hadley Bezon in goals-against average, however, as Bezon has a 0.58 goals-against average to Taylor's average of 1.24. Bezon also has a better save percentage than Taylor (.875-to-.756).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS EASTERN WASHINGTON:
The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Eagles, 14-5-1. The Eagles won the teams' last meeting, however, as the Eagles beat the Vikings 1-0 in 2015, snapping a seven-match unbeaten streak for the Vikings in the series. The Vikings had also won five straight matches against the Eagles before last season, including four straight shutouts from 2010-13.
 
SCOUTING MONTANA:
• The Montana Grizzlies (5-4-2, 1-1-0 Big Sky) split their first two Big Sky matches last weekend, losing 4-1 to defending Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho on Friday, before beating Idaho State, 2-0. The Vandals put the Grizzlies out of their match quickly Friday, as they scored the first four goals of the match before Montana scored their lone goal in the 72nd minute. The Grizzlies jumped on the Bengals in their match on Sunday, meanwhile, scoring both of their goals in the first half.
• The Grizzlies have played several common opponents with the Vikings in Gonzaga, San Jose State and Fresno State. The Grizzlies lost 1-0 to Gonzaga and Fresno State, while the Griz tied San Jose State, 0-0. By comparison, the Vikings lost 5-2 and 4-3 to Gonzaga and Fresno State, respectively, and lost 5-1 to San Jose State.
• The Grizzlies return 11 starters from last season, when the Grizzlies went 9-11-2 overall and placed fifth in the Big Sky with a 5-4-1 conference record.
• The Grizzlies have struggled to score at times this season, but have balanced it out with a stout defense. The Grizzlies average just 1.00 goals per match so far this season, but lead the Big Sky in shutouts (5), and rank second in goals-against average (0.87) and third in goals allowed (10).
• The Grizzlies returned senior goalkeeper Kailey Norman, a two-time All-Big Sky second-team selection, off last year's team. Norman has played every minute in goal for the Grizzlies so far this season, and leads the Big Sky in shutouts (5) while ranking second in the conference in goals-against average (0.87) and fourth in save percentage (.792).
• Redshirt senior defender Tess Brenneman also returned for the Grizzlies to shore up the team's defense at center back. Brenneman is a two-time All-Big Sky honoree, having earned All-Big Sky first-team honors in 2015 and All-Big Sky second-team honors in 2014.
• Redshirt sophomore Hallie Widner, who's coming off a redshirt season in 2015, leads the Grizzlies in goals (3) and points (8) this season.
• Sophomore McKenzie Warren ranks second on the team in goals (2) and points (5), while redshirt senior Mary Gintz leads the team with three assists.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERUS MONTANA:
The Vikings and Grizzlies are tied 11-11-2 in the all-time series between the two teams. The Grizzlies have won the last two meetings against the Vikings, as well as three of the last four. Before that, the Vikings had a six-match unbeaten streak against the Grizzlies, and lost only twice to the Grizzlies from 2002-13.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Vikings' opening weekend of Big Sky play was a mixture of promising comebacks and heartbreaking defeats. The Vikings fell behind in both of their matches against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, only to come back in each match to force overtime. Both of the Vikings' opponents scored golden goals early on in overtime, however, handing the Vikings a pair of overtime losses to start off Big Sky play. NAU went up 1-0 on the Vikings with a 21st minute goal in their match on Friday, before Katie Forsee leveled the match with her third goal of the season in the 54th minute. The Lumberjacks' Adrian Nixt scored in the 93rd minute to beat the Vikings, however. The Vikings made a greater comeback against Southern Utah on Sunday, coming back from two goals down to force overtime once again. The Vikings gave up a pair of goals to the Thunderbirds in the first 11 minutes of play, but came back with goals from Rachel Michieli and Aurora Bodenhamer in the 13th and 48th minutes, respectively. Southern Utah headed in a shot off a corner in the 94th minute, however, handing the Vikings their second overtime loss in as many Big Sky matches. Despite the loss, the Vikings' comeback from a two-goal deficit marked the first time they'd comeback from such a deficit since Oct. 9, 2011, when the Vikings came back to earn a 2-2 draw on the road against Montana after giving up the first two goals of the match.
 
UPCOMING:
The Vikings face a split, home-and-away weekend next week, as they play Idaho State on the road on Friday, Oct. 7, and then return home for a match against defending Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho on Sunday, Oct. 9.
 
STRONG OFFENSE:
The Vikings' offense has been a strong point for the team all season, and heads into their matches this weekend on a five-match scoring streak. The Vikings have only had six scoring streaks longer than their current one, which started with the Vikings' 1-0 win over Nevada on Sept. 11. The Vikings have also scored multiple goals in four matches this season, already more than during the entire 2015 season. Additionally, the Vikings have scored 12 goals this season so far, just one less than the team scored during their entire 2015 season. The Vikings' strong start offensively has them ranked tied for third in the Big Sky in both goals scored (12) and goals per match (1.20), while Katie Forsee and Morgan Matthews rank tied for ninth in the conference in points with seven each. Forsee and Matthews also rank tied for sixth in the Big Sky with three goals each, while Forsee ranks sixth in the conference in goals per match (0.38).
 
BY THE HAMMER OF BODEN:
Senior midfielder/forward Aurora Bodenhamer moved into a tie for ninth all-time with her ninth career goal in the Vikings' match against Southern Utah last Sunday. Bodenhamer's nine career goals leave her tied with Juli Edwards (2004-07), Megan Plinski (2002-05), Kala Renard (2008-11) and Kayla Henningsen (2011-14), and two goals from tying Julie Forrest (2001-04) and Katie Miyake (2002-04) for seventh all-time. Bodenhamer scored five of her career goals last season, when she led the Vikings in goals and points. 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:
Junior Katie Forsee might as well be playing Jedi mind tricks out there this season, as she's added so much to the Vikings' attack since missing the team's first two matches of the season due to injury. Forsee ranks tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (7), and scored the team's game-winning goal against Colorado State on a beautiful flick that would have left Yoda, or his soccer equivalent, jealous. 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 with five career goals. 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.
 
MATTHEWS EMERGING AS SCORING THREAT:
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 has now scored five goals in her young Portland State career, all in just 27 matches played. That rate gives Matthews an average of a goal every 5.4 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 7.11 matches with nine goals in 64 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 16 matches for the Vikings, going back to last season. Additionally, Matthews' three goals this season rank her tied for sixth in scoring within the Big Sky Conference, while she also ranks tied for ninth with seven points.
 
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 seven of the Vikings' 10 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 47 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 4,177 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.