The exhibition season isn't about the results, but that didn't make Monday's 1-0 loss for Portland State sting any less. The Vikings played 21 different players in the final tune-up of the season, but couldn't find the back of the net in the one-goal loss to British Columbia.

"Tough loss, but we made significant progress on the offensive side of the game," head coach Katie Burton said. "Our possession, especially in the first half, was night and day in comparison to our prior match. We've been working on finding chemistry between each line and finding player combinations that work best for us. We made great strides in these areas. Krystal (de Ramos) and Ellie (Vasey) are a dangerous duo up top together and very hard to defend."

The Vikings, playing against a Thunderbird team full of confidence after a 2-0 win against Oregon State on Saturday, showed improvement from last week's loss to Oregon. They controlled much of the possession in the first half and had the best look in the opening 45 minutes.

Freshman Sofia Papastamos slid a pass through the defense to Kasey Isobe on the right wing. Isobe gathered and fired a cross into the box that Krystal de Ramos found the end of, but her shot attempt was deflected. After bouncing just short of the goal line, it spun backwards and away from frame and the Thunderbirds were able to clear the danger.

UBC scored the game's lone goal in the 72nd minute off a corner kick. The ball deflected to the feet of Tess McRae, whose shot glanced off the foot of a Viking defender and into the roof of the net. Despite allowing the goal off the set piece, the Vikings defense held UBC in check for much of the game. Starter Abbie Faingold had another good half, not allowing a goal in her half of play, and backup Tiegan Horton did well in the second 45.

"Our backline and goalkeeping were solid today," Burton said. "Overall, we are pleased with the progress we made in a short amount of time."

Portland State has still not found the offensive replacement for Katie Forsee. Despite good possession numbers and some potential chances, the finishing touch was missing for the Vikings as they managed just three total shots.

The regular season begins on Friday when the Vikings travel to Edinburg, Tex. for the UTRGV Tournament. They will face Oral Roberts in the opening match at 4 p.m. (CT) and Texas Southern on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT).