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HILLSBORO, Ore.— Fresh off a dramatic, double-overtime golden winner over Nevada on Friday, the magic wasn't quite there for the Portland State women's soccer team Sunday, as the Vikings attempted a late comeback against Gonzaga before falling 2-1 at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The Vikings (1-2-0) pulled a goal back on the Bulldogs (3-0-1) late, when sophomore midfielder Kasey Isobe scored in the 84th minute, and the Vikings followed with a corner in the final minute of regulation.
 
The Vikings' corner didn't amount to much, however, and the Bulldogs killed the clock from there for their third win in four matches to start the season.
 
The Bulldogs controlled much of the early match but were held without a goal until just after halftime. Madeline Gotta broke the deadlock for the Bulldogs in the 49th minute, when she converted a cross from Sophia Viviano, who had made a long run up the left side of the field. Viviano's ball slipped through several PSU defenders, leaving Gotta wide open for the goal.
 
Viviano nearly got the better of the Vikings' defense again less than two minutes later, as she slotted a ball up the center of the field to Callie Best, again leaving her teammate with a good look at a goal.
 
Best's shot bounced off the right post, but Best would make up for it a few minutes later with a second goal for the Bulldogs in the 60th minute. Best received a loose ball that had popped up in the air on the Viking defense, and dribbled through a couple of Viking defenders before firing a shot to the right of Viking goalkeeper Abbie Faingold. Best's shot again bounced off the right post, but this time it kicked across the goal line into the left-side netting for a goal.
 
The Viking offense, meanwhile, couldn't find an answer for the Bulldogs until Isobe's goal in the 84th minute.
 
The Vikings had had some chances early in the match, starting with a long run up the left side of the field by senior Katie Forsee in the 14th minute. Forsee received the ball near midfield and out-sprinted the Gonzaga defense all the way up to the left corner of the six-yard box where she sent a shot on goal. Forsee's shot beat Gonzaga goalkeeper Isabel Jones, but Gonzaga defender Jordan Thompson was there as a backup to block the ball out for a corner.
 
Freshman forward Diamond Quinn had another good look at a goal for the Vikings in the 41st minute. Quinn received the ball just past midfield in the center of the pitch and dribbled it up until firing a deep shot from 25 yards out that dipped late, forcing Jones to tip the ball off the crossbar to prevent the goal.
 
The Vikings wouldn't break it open until late in the second half, however, with Isobe's goal in the 84th minute. Freshman midfielder Rilee Castilla initiated the play from the middle of the field, before passing out to fellow freshman Tasi Poore to her left. Poore took a quick touch before sending the ball out wide to Isobe, who bent a shot to Jones' right that skipped off the ground for the goal.
 
Isobe's goal marks the first of her young Viking career, as well as the first-career assists for first-year players Castilla and Tasi Poore.
 
The Vikings pushed up to try for a second goal when sophomore forward Morgan Matthews took a corner kick in the final minute of regulation, but the Bulldogs cleared it immediately.
 
While a loss, Sunday's 2-1 result against the Bulldogs stands as a marked improvement over the Vikings' 5-2 loss to the Bulldogs last season. The result follows a line of promising results for the Vikings so far this season, following Friday's 1-0 win over Nevada and last week's close, 2-1 loss to national power University of Portland.
 
The Vikings remain home for another match Thursday against George Fox, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. The Vikings will then play their first match out of the Portland area with a road match at Pacific (Calif.) next Sunday.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fall to 3-11-2 against Gonzaga with Sunday's loss…The Vikings have lost three straight to the Bulldogs, and haven't beaten them since 2009…The Vikings' three goals this season have all come from different players in Forsee, Isobe and Regan Russell.