FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The third-seeded Portland State women's soccer team was eliminated from the Big Sky tournament on Friday evening, falling 1-0 to No. 2 Idaho in the conference semifinals at Lumberjack Stadium.

The Vikings were eyeing their first Big Sky Championship match since 2013 but came up just short after conceding a penalty kick goal in the 54th minute. 

With the victory, the Vandals secured their spot in the Big Sky Championship on Sunday as they improved to 11-4-2 on the year. Portland State finished the season 8-8-2, recording their most wins since 2017 and the first .500+ season since 2014. 

Both teams had opportunities to score in the opening minutes, but neither side was able to capitalize. It was sophomore forward Elle Frazier who gave the Vikings the best looks of the half, sending a powerful shot just above the crossbar in the 16th minute before narrowly missing a header in the 20th minute. Sophomore defender Kalo Iongi also played a key role in the Vikings' first-half attack, accounting for four of PSU's 11 shots before halftime.

Coming out of the break tied 0-0, Idaho applied immediate pressure, leading to a Portland State penalty in the 54th minute. Idaho's Hannah Alfaro seized the opportunity, successfully converting the penalty kick to give the Vandals a 1-0 lead. Just two minutes later, the Vikings came painfully close to scoring the equalizer when Audrey Williams struck the crossbar, marginally missing the net following a corner kick. From that point on, the Vikings' offensive efforts were foiled by the Vandal defense, who managed to hold on to their seventh shutout of the season. 

Both teams finished with 14 shots and five corner kicks. Iongi led Portland State with a career-high five shots, including the Vikings' only two shots on goal. Natalie Cunningham was solid between the posts for PSU, tallying five saves to cap her six-win season. 
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