PORTLAND – The Portland State women's soccer team will head into its final weekend of non-conference play as they travel south to California to take on Saint Mary's and Pacific (Calif.) beginning on Friday, Sept. 20.
 
This weekend marks matches three and four of the six-match road trip for the Vikings which started last week in Boise, Idaho and will end with the first two matches in Big Sky Conference play.
 
LAST WEEK:
The Vikings traveled to Boise to face two Mountain West Conference opponents in Fresno State and Boise State. The Bulldogs escaped in the first match, scoring an early goal before answering late in the second half to win 2-1 over PSU. Both teams finished with 11 total shots in the match with Fresno State earning six shots on goal to five.
 
Against Boise State, the Vikings played one of their most complete games and attacked well on offense, collecting season highs in shots with 12 and corners with seven. Despite falling 2-0 against the favorites to win the Mountain West Conference, Portland State continues to improve each week as the team looks to find their rhythm as they head to conference play.
 
FRESHMAN STANDOUTS:
The Vikings have already found production from some of their younger players as freshman Sienna Higinbotham ranks fifth in the Big Sky Conference in total points with eight, recording two goals and one assist so far. She is also tied for fifth in the Big Sky in total goals along with fellow teammate Rilee Castilla.
 
On the other side of the ball, freshman keeper Enya Hernandez ranks third in the conference in save percentage at .756 and sits in fourth in total saves with 31 on the season. She is averaging 4.43 saves per match with is the fourth-highest average in the Big Sky.
 
CHEMISTRY ON OFFENSE:
With nine newcomers and four freshmen in the starting lineup, it's no surprise it would take some time for the Vikings to find their rhythm on the field, but it looks like they have achieved just that and right before conference play couldn't be a better time.
 
In the first four matches of the season, the Vikings managed only 19 shot attempts combined while in their last three matches, they have totaled 33 shots with 12 landing on goal. Castilla leads the squad with nine shots followed by Higinbotham with eight and Diamond Quinn with six.
 
SCOUTING SAINT MARY'S:
-Saint Mary's enters the weekend with a 3-4 overall recorded, losing their previous match to Big Sky opponent Idaho State 2-1 in overtime.
-The Gaels have picked up wins against Green Bay University (1-0) and Cal Baptist (2-1) while their largest margin of victory came against Wagner College, winning 6-1.
-SMC shares one opponent so far with Portland State in Oregon State, a match both teams lost 3-0.
-The Gaels have played strong at home so far this season, recording all three wins on their home field.
-With the 6-1 win earlier in the season, Saint Mary's has outscored their opponents 11 goals to 10 and have totaled 117 shots while allowing 85 attempts by its opponents.
-SMC ranks third in the West Coast Conference in shots, fifth in goals scored, and fourth in goals allowed.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SAINT MARY'S:
The Vikings trail the series against Saint Mary's 0-3-0 with their last meeting occurring during the 2012 season, a match that ended 2-0 in favor of the Gaels.
 
SCOUTING PACIFIC (CALIF.):
-The Tigers have had a slow start to their season, losing the first five matches of the season before winning three straight heading into this weekend.
-Pacific has picked up wins against Manhattan College, Long Island University and BSC member Northern Arizona.
-The Tigers has split their results against Big Sky opponents, falling to Sacramento State 2-0 before picking up their win against NAU.
-Pacific and Portland State have seen two of the same opponents so far this season in UC Davis and Fresno State. The Tigers fell to UC Davis 3-0 and Fresno State 4-2 while the Vikings also lost both matches, a 2-0 result against the Aggies and a 2-1 result against the Bulldogs.
-Pacific has tallied eight goals this season off of 111 shots, averaging just under 14 shots per contest.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. PACIFIC (CALIF.):
Pacific leads the all-time series over the Vikings 3-5-0 but the last meeting between these schools ended in a 2-1 victory for Portland State at home. All three wins for the Vikings have come at home against the Tigers.
 
MATCH COVERAGE:
Both matches will have live stats available along with a stream to watch all the action. Visit goviks.com and the soccer schedule page for links.