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HILLSBORO, Ore. — What bugaboo?
 
Facing a team they had only beaten once in its last 13 matches against each other, the Portland State women's soccer team came out on the front foot and beat its old nemesis, the league-leading Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, 1-0 Friday at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The Vikings (6-6-0, 3-1-0 Big Sky) had lost three straight to the Lumberjacks (8-6-0, 3-2-0 Big Sky) coming into Friday, and had only beaten them once – a 2-1 overtime win in 2013 – since 2007.
 
"The girls were able to implement everything we have been working on in training, especially in the second half," head coach Katie Burton said after the match. "They were very organized defensively; the midfield did a great job helping us keep possession and leading the attack; and our forwards were dangerous in the final third.
 
"We have been working on this for the past two weeks and it all came together today. The team's energy, focus and determination was inspiring."
 
Senior Katie Forsee provided the lone score of the match in the 60th-minute, as she netted a penalty kick that freshman Rilee Castilla earned on a foul inside the 18-yard box. Forsee's goal marked the seventh of the season for the senior, giving her sole possession of the Big Sky scoring lead for the moment.
 
Additionally, Forsee scored her eighth-career game-winning goal in the match, tying her with Frankie Ross (2006-09) and Dolly Enneking (2006-09) for the all-time record at Portland State. Forsee has accounted for four of the Vikings' six game-winning goals this season, a total that also gives her the Big Sky lead in the category and ranks her among the top 25 players in the nation.
 
Forsee's goal was a critical turning point for the Vikings in a match in which both teams did well to snuff out any chance for the opposing team. The teams finished with only 17 combined shots in the match (NAU 9, PSU 8), the lowest combined total of any match the Vikings have played this season.
 
The Vikings created the better chances in the early going, however, including an early chance for Forsee off a free kick in the 10th minute. Sophomore Liv Jillings sent a long bending ball to the far post on the play, where Forsee found it and flicked on a header that NAU goalkeeper Taryn Benham was just able to save.
 
Forsee had another chance early in the first half, as she won a ball off the Lumberjacks' back line in the 49th minute. Forsee made a quick turn after winning the ball and tried to fire a shot on frame from 20 yards out. The shot sailed on her, however, and flew out well over the crossbar.
 
Forsee made up for it with her penalty kick a little bit later, and she and Jillings nearly combined for a second goal just over three minutes later.
 
Jillings sent a dangerous free kick into the box on the play with Forsee running right in front of Benham in the NAU goal. Forsee dummied a header as the ball sailed over her, which nearly caught Benham off guard as the ball dropped quickly. Benham reacted in time, however, as she dropped to her knees to make the save.
 
The match turned towards NAU after that, as they outshot the Vikings 5-0 the rest of the way.
 
Northern Arizona likely should have scored an equalizer in the 63rd minute, as Malia Lyken brought a dangerous ball in the box that got loose and squirted to teammate Anna Goebel on the far post. Goebel had a wide-open goal in front of her, but misdirected her shot back towards the near post where PSU goalkeeper Abbie Faingold was able to make a save.
 
Faingold made another save in the 83rd minute, when Alexis Moest fielded an initial clearance off a corner and redirected a ball back on frame.
 
Faingold and the Viking defense finished with their first shutout of the Lumberjacks since 2012. Faingold and the Vikings have now recorded five shutouts this season, matching Faingold's total from the entire 2016 season.
 
"We were very organized defensively, starting with the front line and all the way back to Abbie," Burton said. "Communication was a key to our success today defensively. Abbie did a great job keeping the lead for us, as well, with two great saves in the end."
 
The Vikings head into their next match against Sacramento State Sunday. The match will carry a little extra weight behind the scenes, as Burton and the rest of the Viking coaching staff played and coached at Sacramento State. Sunday's match will kick off at 1 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings improve to 6-13-5 all time against Northern Arizona after Friday's match…Faingold moved into sixth place all time on her own with her 10th-career shutout in the match…Forsee moved into a tied for third all time with her 14th-career goal, and also moved into a tie for fourth all time with her 35th-career point (14g, 7a).