PORTLAND, Ore. - After falling just one win short of a trip to the Big Sky Championship Tournament last season, the Portland State women's soccer team is aiming for redemption in 2022. Ready to begin the non-conference slate, the Vikings will kick off their season against San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 18 at Hillsboro Stadium (6:05 p.m.), before hosting Western Oregon on Sunday, Aug. 21 (5:05 p.m.).
 
Entering her sixth season at Portland State, head coach Katie Burton will lead a 28-man squad alongside associate head coach Maureen Whitney and newly appointed assistant Lindsay LaMont. Burton's roster is full of young, local talent, with 11 freshmen and two transfers joining the program ahead of the 2022 season. The Vikings return 15 players from last season, including eleven upperclassmen. 
 
Burton and her squad hope to improve on a 4-10-2 (2-5-2 BSC) record from 2021. The Vikings, who finished eighth in the Big Sky last season, are eager to prove themselves after being tabbed an eighth-place finish in this season's Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vikings will shoot for their first Big Sky Tournament appearance since 2019. 
 

2022 SCHEDULE

PSU will play an 18-match regular season with ten non-conference matchups and eight Big Sky contests. After beginning the season with four-straight home matches against San Francisco (Aug. 18), Western Oregon (Aug. 21), UC Riverside (Aug. 25), and South Dakota (Aug. 28), the Vikings will hit the road to take on New Mexico (Sept. 1) and New Mexico State (Sept. 3). They'll close out non-conference action against Hawaii (Sept. 8) and North Dakota (Sept. 11) at home before traveling to CSUN on Sept. 18.
 
Big Sky action will open on Friday, Sept. 23, at Northern Colorado, followed by a four-game homestand that features Montana (Sept. 25), Sacramento State (Oct. 2), Idaho State (Oct. 7), and Weber State (Oct. 9). The Vikings will wrap up the regular season with three consecutive road contests at Idaho (Oct. 14), Eastern Washington (Oct. 16) and Northern Arizona (Oct. 23).
 
Following the conclusion of conference play, the top six teams will qualify for the Big Sky Soccer Championships held on Nov. 2-6 in Greeley, Colo. 
 

RETURNERS 

2021 All-Big Sky Honorable Mention selections Sienna Higinbotham and Lucy Quinn will play crucial roles at the midfield position. Quinn made ten starts in 2021, recording one assist and ten shots during her freshman campaign. Higinbotham enters her senior season with nine-career goals and two Big Sky honors under her belt. The Albany, Ore. native clocked 1,315 minutes of action a year ago, compiling 18 shots and 11 shots on goal.
 
Abi Hoffman, Raniyah Burton and Chloe Huling will play key roles in the Viking's attack. The trio combined for 105 shots, seven goals, and four assists in 2021. Fifth-year senior captain Jadyn Harris and senior forwards Olivia Stone and Kailee-Rae Quartero, will also contribute up front for the Vikings. 
 
Senior Hailey Green will lead the Vikings back line after starting 15 matches in 2021, clocking 1,314 minutes of action. Juniors Emma Jones, Cameron Dixon, and sophomores Riley Larsen and Parker Reichner are also set to return to the Viking's defense.
 

IN GOAL

The Vikings have three solid goalkeepers vying for a starting job. Senior Enya Hernandez will return to the pitch after suffering a season-ending injury last year. The Menifee, Calif. native, has tallied 176 saves in 30 starts during her career. 
 
Junior Sidney O'billovich took things over in goal for PSU in 2021, recording three wins in 11 starts during her first season with the Vikings. The Portland, Ore. native is expected to compete for a starting position this season after tallying 71 saves, and a .755 save percentage in 2021.
 
Natalie Cunningham, a 5'11 freshman out of Salem, Ore., rounds out the goalkeeping unit as she looks to see her first collegiate action this year.
 

NEWCOMERS

The Vikings will benefit from the experience of sophomore transfers CeCe Jenkins (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) and Sydney Watson (Sherwood, Ore.). Coming to Portland State from Peninsula College, Jenkins will provide depth at the midfield position. Also a midfielder, Watson will begin her Portland State career after spending her freshmen year at Saint Peters University. Freshman Camilla Contreras Bran (Cornelius, Ore.) will also see time in the Viking's midfield.
 
PSU's youthful roster features five freshmen forwards: Emma Johnston (Eugene, Ore.), Ocean Rideout (Riverside, Calif.), Makena Speer (Forest Grove, Ore.), Mari Mendoza (McMinnville, Ore.) and the 2021 OSAA 6A State Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year finalist Elle Frazier (Portland, Ore.).
 
Also looking to make an impact in their first seasons with the Vikings are freshmen defenders Erin Marynik (Gresham, Ore.), Leah Heugly (Draper, Utah), Liv Frazier (Portland, Ore.), and Kalo Iongi (Orem, Utah).
 

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GAME ONE: Portland State vs. San Francisco

Thursday, Aug. 18 | 6:05 p.m. | Hillsboro Stadium
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
San Francisco will open the 2022 season on Thursday after posting a 7-9-2 record a year ago. Sophomore forward Marissa Vazquez, who was picked to the All-WCC preseason team will lead the Dons' attack after recording eleven points in 2021. USF Head Coach Jim Millinder enters his 12^th season at the helm.   
 
A Viking victory on Thursday would mark the first against the Dons in program history. USF leads the series 5-0-2 after topping Portland State 3-0 in 2021.
 

GAME TWO: Portland State vs. Western Oregon

Sunday, Aug. 21 | 5:05 p.m. | Hillsboro Stadium
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
Western Oregon finished last season with a 5-10-3 record, going 4-7-3 in conference play. In her fourth year as head coach, Kacey Bingham will lead a young group that includes 15 freshmen. Sophomore Lilly Nowatzke will return to the pitch after leading the Wolves with four goals last season. While Sunday's matchup is a counting game for Portland State, it will go down as an exhibition for WOU. They'll open their season at Sonoma State on Aug. 25.  
 
Portland State leads the all-time series 4-2-0 after taking the last four matches from the Wolves. In their last meeting, the Vikings used a pair of second-half goals to down WOU 2-1 in 2021.