MISSOULA, Mont. -The sixth-seeded Portland State women's soccer team refused to let their season end on Wednesday, scoring a second-half equalizer before securing a 7-6 sudden-death penalty shootout victory over third-seeded Eastern Washington in the Big Sky Quarterfinals at South Campus Stadium.

The thriller ended in a 1-1 draw, marking the second such result this season between the Vikings (4-8-5) and Eagles (9-6-4). It mirrored their first meeting in September, with the Vikings overcoming a one-goal deficit in the final 17 minutes to secure the tie. For head coaches Maureen Whitney and Katie Burton, and the Vikings, it was a historic result as they went a perfect 7-for-7 in penalty kicks to secure the program's first-ever shootout victory while advancing to their second consecutive Big Sky semifinal match. 

Both teams had chances early in the first half, but it was a set-piece opportunity in the 30th minute that allowed the Eagles to break through. Capitalizing on a corner kick that bounced around the box, Eastern Washington's header found the left corner of the net to give them a 1-0 lead.

Needing a goal to keep their season alive, the Vikings ramped up the pressure in the second half. After a few missed set-piece opportunities, Aliayha Saldana took matters into her own hands in the 74th minute, receiving the ball near the top of the box and maneuvering past Eagle defenders to send a strike into the upper left corner to level the score. 

Neither squad could break the tie in the final 16 minutes of regulation, sending the contest into overtime. With eyes on a golden goal, the teams combined for seven shots in the first extra period. The Eagles had a near miss at the start of the second overtime, but their shot sailed just wide, ultimately leading the match to a shootout.

The teams went a combined 10-for-10 in the initial penalty shootout, pushing it to sudden death. The first miss came on the Eagles' seventh shot, which Eden Millan read perfectly to her left, making a crucial diving save that put the Vikings a shot away from victory. Meg DeVall then sealed the deal as the seventh consecutive Viking to find the back of the net, sending Portland State to the semifinals. 

The Vikings out-shot the Eagles 23-15, with 11 shots on target. Saldana recorded a career-high nine shots in the match—a new Big Sky Tournament program record—putting five on target, just one shy of the program's all-time single-match record. 




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