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HILLSBORO, Ore. — Triple eights doesn't have the same Vegas-inspired ring to them that triple sevens do, but that won't bother the Portland State women's soccer team. The Vikings (3-4-0) tied a program record with eight goals against Chicago State (1-7-0) Sunday, while sophomore midfielder Kasey Isobe tied an individual school record with eight points on three goals and two assists, and the Vikings set a program record for largest margin of victory, beating the Cougars 8-0.
 
8…8…8.
 
"We've been working on being more creative, patient, and dynamic in the final third for the past week," PSU head coach Katie Burton said after the match. "I thought they did a great job at implementing the technical and tactical concepts we have working on, especially after half time.
 
"Chicago State was holding a high line of pressure and we were able to break that line with combination play, movement and the desire to take people on 1v1."
 
By the end of the day, the Vikings had two players – Isobe and senior Katie Forsee – record hat tricks – the first time that had ever happened in the same match. Additionally, the Vikings finished with the second-most points ever in a match (22, record is 23), second-most assists in a match (6, record is 7), second-most goals in a half (5 in 2nd half, record is 6), and third-most shots (28, record is 38) in a match.
 
Forsee got the Vikings started early, as she scored the first goal of the match just 33 seconds after the opening whistle. That goes down as the third-fastest goal ever for a Viking from the start of the match, and the fastest since Joanna Bowns scored 30 seconds into a match against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 4, 1999.
 
The Vikings remained on the front foot after the early goal, though they had to wait until the 34th minute for their next goal. Chicago State played a high line throughout the match, which helped the Vikings create offensively, but also frequently caught the Vikings in offsides positions (There are no program records for most offsides in a match, but the Vikings likely would have set it today as they finished with 14).
 
Isobe broke the Vikings out of their longest dry spell in a match that would feature plenty of goals. Sophomore Jade Rafallo started the play with a long ball up that Krystal de Ramos ran onto, and de Ramos then sent a pass across the face of goal to Isobe on her left that Isobe put home for the score.
 
Isobe featured on the Vikings' next goal, too, as she sent a ball from Rachel Michieli into the box with the clock winding down before halftime. Isobe was rushed with the final seconds ticking off the clock, and her cross bent heavily as a result. The large bend caught Chicago State goalkeeper Audra Wisehart by surprise, and she misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing it to bounce to Forsee, who fired it in from point-blank range.
 
Redshirt sophomore Maxine Nagramada then got the Vikings started in the second half with a goal in the 55th minute that was perhaps the goal of the match. Nagramda started her run 35 yards away from goal but dribbled through three different Chicago State defenders before firing a shot past the goalkeeper for her first collegiate goal.
 
Nagramada's goal made it 4-0 in favor of the Vikings, and the Vikings would pour on four more goals in the final 17 minutes of play.
 
Forsee started the late barrage with her third goal of the match, as she fielded a bouncing ball in the 74th minute that she then slotted past the goalkeeper for a score.
 
"Katie was determined today, as per usual," Burton said. "Her goal in the first 30 seconds gave the team energy. Everyone feeds off her work rate. Besides her hat trick, I felt like she was being very unselfish by setting her teammates up as well."
 
Forsee started the play on the Vikings' next goal, too, as she made a long run up the right side of the field before cutting back towards the center of the box. Wisehart punched the ball away from Forsee, but the punch went right to Isobe, who then finished it with a one-time shot into the back of the net in the 80th minute.
 
Isobe took over as the creator on the Vikings' next goal, as she caught Wisehart way out of the box and tried to lift a long ball over Wisehart's head. Isobe's shot went through Wisehart's hands, which would have gone down as a handball but the center official called advantage as the ball fell to sophomore Michelle Escobar, who finished the play with a shot from distance. The goal marked Escobar's first career goal at Portland State, and gave Isobe her second assist on the day.
 
Isobe then added a third goal to her tally with the Vikings' final goal of the match in the 88th minute. Isobe stole the ball from a Chicago State defender following a goal kick from the Vikings' Abbie Faingold, and dribbled all the way up the left side of the field before firing a shot past Wisehart to the far post.
 
"Kasey is a finesse finisher, and that showed today with her three goals coming on only three shots," Burton said.
 
The Vikings' 8-0 win over Chicago State followed a good showing against Pac-12 foe Oregon State on Friday, when the Vikings took the Beavers to overtime before losing 1-0 on the road.
 
Sunday's record result should only further the Vikings' momentum, as they head into their final non-conference match of the season next Sunday, Sept. 17, against Seattle. The Vikings and Redhawks will kick off at 1 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: Sunday's match was the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and the Cougars, giving the Vikings a 1-0-0 lead in the all-time series between the two teams…The Vikings outshot the Cougars 28-8 in the match, and held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, as well as a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal…Faingold finished with her third shutout of the season, two short of her total during the entire 2016 season.