PORTLAND – Spending nearly a month on the road, the Portland State women's soccer team will begin a six-match road trip beginning at Boise, Idaho with two matches on the weekend against Fresno State and Boise State starting on Friday, Sept. 13.
 
The road trip extends to the beginning of Big Sky conference play when the Vikings take on Idaho State and Weber State in the final weekend of September. PSU returns to Hillsboro Stadium for its conference home opener against Southern Utah on Oct. 4.
 
LAST WEEK:
The Vikings ended the weekend with two losses, falling to UC Davis 2-0 last Friday before dropping a 2-1 result to the University of New Mexico on Sunday. Despite the result, the team turned in a strong performance as Head Coach Katie Burton played with the lineups as she looks her best combination on the field.
 
Against New Mexico, Rilee Castilla tied the match at 1-1 with a quick goal from 15-yards out. The Lobos' second goal was nearly stopped as PSU keeper Enya Hernandez got a hand on the ball but couldn't push it out as the shot landed just inside the post. After that, the Vikings had several close shots, but the ball just didn't land their way.
 
EARLY SCORER:
Castilla has emerged as an offensive threat early in the season, picking up where she left off a season ago. She has tallied two goals off of seven shots so far and has a shot percentage of 57 percent.
 
FRESHMAN IN GOAL:
Hernandez has made three starts in goal so far and has collected 22 total saves, averaging 4.4 saves per contest. She ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference in total saves and is the leading freshman.
 
SCOUTING FRESNO STATE:
-The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 1-1-1 overall record. They tied Oregon 2-2 in the first contest of the season, picked up a win against Pacific (Calif.) before falling to Cal State Bakersfield in the most recent match.
-Fresno State averages 11.7 shots per game and has tallied seven goals this season.
-Five players have scored at least one goal with Mariona Segales leading the squad with two goals.
-The Bulldogs and the Vikings have one common opponent so far this season in Oregon. The Ducks defeated Portland State 4-2, scoring three goals in the first half. Against Fresno, the Ducks had an own goal in the 89^th minute to even the match.
-Defensively, Fresno has allowed 22 total shots in three matches, while opponents hold a shots on goal average of .545.
-The Bulldogs have played one other Big Sky Conference opponent this season, defeating Sacramento State 2-1 in an exhibition match.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FRESNO STATE:
Fresno State leads the series as the Vikings trail 0-5-0 all-time. The last meeting between these teams came during the 2016 season with Fresno State taking a 4-3 road win at Portland State. The previous two meetings have been decided by only one goal.
 
SCOUTING BOISE STATE:
-Boise State currently holds a 4-1 overall record so far this season.
-The Broncos have bullied the Big Sky Conference early in the year, picking up wins against Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Idaho State. BSU defeated both Idaho schools by a score of 1-0 while handling Eastern with ease, winning 5-3.
-On Friday, Boise State will face another BSC foe in Weber State prior to the match vs. the Vikings.
-In their most recent match, the Broncos fell to Utah 1-0 in double overtime as the Utes scored in the 103^rd minute.
-Boise State has scored 11 goals so far this season while holding their opponents to only three goals. The Broncos average 16.4 shots per game and rank first in the Mountain West Conference in total shots with 82.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BOISE STATE:
Boise State and PSU first played each other 20 years ago and since then, the Broncos have earned an all-time record of 9-1-2 over the Vikings. Portland State's lone victory came in 2012, winning 2-1 in double overtime. The last two meetings have gone to double overtime with the previous match ending in a 1-1 tie in 2014.
 
MATCH COVERAGE:
Live stats will be provided by Boise State for both matches and can be seen at vikslive.com. A live stream will be available during Sunday's match against Boise State. Both links can be found at goviks.com.