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SPOKANE, Wash. — Down 3-0 after the 38th minute on the road to Gonzaga, the Portland State women's soccer team showed fight in drawing back within one at 3-2 before the Bulldogs pulled away with two late goals to hand the Vikings a 5-2 loss Sunday at Luger Field.
 
Senior Aurora Bodenhamer scored the Vikings' (0-4-0) first goal on a penalty kick to get one back on the Zags (3-1-1) in the 40th minute, while junior Katie Forsee followed with her own converted penalty kick in the 54th minute to make it a match at 3-2.
 
The Viking defense did well to keep the Zags out of goal after that, as they withstood three corner kicks while goalkeeper Abbie Faingold made two saves in the stretch following Forsee's goal, before relenting in the 76th minute. Gonzaga scored its fourth goal at that point on a chipped ball over Faingold, and then followed with another in the 87th minute.
 
"We played really well in coming back to make it a 3-2 game," PSU head coach Laura Schott said after the match. "We were battling and I loved seeing the fight in such a young group. As it got late we had to start pressing to get goal 3 and their leading scorer [Karley Baggerly] capitalized in a savvy read in transition [for the Zags' fourth goal].
 
"Congrats to Gonzaga in a tight matchup. We are improving and this group will have a breakthrough."
 
The Vikings showed glimpses of a possible breakthoughs in both their matchups this weekend, taking a 2-0 lead against Fresno State on Friday, before battling back from a 3-0 deficit in their match Sunday.
 
Additionally, the Vikings totaled five goals over their two matches over the weekend, and scored multiple goals in back-to-back matches for the first time since the end of the 2014 regular season.
 
Bodenhamer's goal marked the first of her season, after she led the Vikings with five goals in 2015. For her career, Bodenhamer has now scored eight goals for the Vikings, putting her just outside the top ten all-time at Portland State. With one more goal, Bodenhamer will tie Juli Edwards (2004-07), Megan Plinski (2002-05), Kala Renard (2008-11) and Kayla Henningsen (2011-14) for ninth all-time at the school.
 
Forsee also opened her 2016 bank account with her goal, which was the third of her Portland State career. Forsee returned to the Vikings' lineup in the team's match against Fresno State on Friday, and made an instant impact in the team's attack, as she assisted on Krystal de Ramos' first goal of the match.
 
Bodenhamer and Forsee were both forces for the Vikings in 2015, as they each earned All-Big Sky honorable mention after the season.
 
The Vikings will continue on the road next weekend, as they travel to play UC Davis and Nevada next Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Vikings will then play another home-and-away weekend against Colorado State and San Jose State after that, before starting Big Sky play at Northern Arizona on Sept. 23.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fall to 3-10-2 all-time against Gonzaga with Sunday's loss…Gonzaga also remains unbeaten against the Vikings in Spokane, as Portland State fell to 0-8-1 against the Bulldogs on the Bulldogs' home field…Faingold played 88 minutes of the match Sunday, her most extensive action in goal to date.