PORTLAND, Ore. – After a strong non-conference finish, the Portland State women's soccer team will kick off their Big Sky schedule on the road this weekend, facing two of the Big Sky's top teams. They'll open against Eastern Washington on Friday, Sept. 27th (3:30 p.m.) before heading to Moscow, Idaho on Sunday, Sept. 29^th to take on the Vandals (1:00 pm.)

Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available for those following from home (links below).

 

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2024 PORTLAND STATE SOCCER GAME NOTES -- WEEK 7

PORTLAND STATE (2-5-1, 0-0-0 BSC) AT EASTERN WASHINGTON (5-4-1, 0-0-0 BSC) 
Friday, Sept. 27 | 3:30 PM PT | EWU Soccer Field (Cheney, Wash.)
Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats
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All-time Series: PSU leads, 15-13-3
Last Meeting: Oct. 8, 2023 (W, 5-2)
EWU's 2023 Record: 2-14-1 (1-6-1 BSC, 9^th place)
Head Coach: Missy Strasburg, 4^th season
EAGLE NOTES: Despite finishing last in the conference a season ago, the Eagles are off to a solid start in 2024, entering Big Sky action with a 5-4-1 non-conference record. They come off a 1-1 week, having defeated UNLV 1-0 on Sept. 19 before falling to Boise State 2-1 in their last outing on Sept. 22. They lead the conference in points (49) and goals per game (1.90), scoring at least one goal in each of their matches so far. Junior forward Chloe Pattison is the Big Sky leader with eight goals and a conference-high 17 points as they head into league play. Junior goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby has recorded three shutouts and was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week last month. She enters conference play with a 1.54 goals against average and a .717 save percentage. EWU will host the Vikings on Friday with a 3-2-0 record at home this year.

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PORTLAND STATE (2-5-1, 0-0-0 BSC) AT IDAHO (6-3-1, 0-0-0 BSC) 
Sunday, Sept. 29 | 1:00 PM PT | P1FCU Kibbie Dome (Moscow, Idaho)
Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats
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All-time Series: Idaho leads, 13-7-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2023 (L, 1-0) - Big Sky Tournament Semifinals
Idaho's 2023 Record: 12-5-2 (5-2-1 BSC, 2nd place)
Head Coach: Jeremy Clevenger, 7th season
VANDAL NOTES: The Vandals are off to a strong 6-3-1 start, entering conference play with the second-best record in the Big Sky. With an undefeated 3-0-1 record at home this season, Idaho is set to host Sacramento State on Friday, Sept. 27, before welcoming the Vikings on Sunday. They've been impressive in their last three outings, posting 1-0 victories over Nevada and UNLV, and tying nationally ranked Utah State 2-2 on Sept. 15.In addition to their three shutouts this season, the Vandals average 14.30 shots per game, ranking second in the conference, and sit third in points per game with an average of 4.60. The attack is led by graduate midfielder Margo Schoesler, who has a team-high five goals. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Paula Flores has played every minute this season, entering conference action with 45 saves and a 1.30 goals-against average.

VIKINGS' LAST TIME OUT - VS. UTAH TECH / SEATTLE U 
The Vikings went 1-0-1 at home last week, tying Utah Tech 1-1 on Friday before securing their first-ever win against Seattle U on Sunday, 1-0. Ocean Rideout scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute Friday to help the Vikings draw 1-1 with Utah Tech. On Sunday, Aliayha Saldana's 70th-minute goal lifted PSU to victory over Seattle U, breaking a 13-match winless streak against the Redhawks. The win also marked the Vikings' first shutout of the season, with Edan Millan anchoring the defense in goal.

SERIES HISTORY VS. EAGLES / VANDALS

• The Vikings are 2-6-0 on the road against Idaho and 4-9-2 when playing at EWU 
• A victory over the Eagles on Friday would be PSU's first road win at EWU since 2013, while a win at Idaho would mark their first road victory over the Vandals since 2017
• PSU and UI met twice in 2023: the Vikings won the regular season match 2-1 at home but lost 1-0 in the Big Sky semifinals (Nov. 3, 2023)
• Portland State earned its first win over the Eagles since 2014 last year, earning a 5-2 victory at Hillsboro Stadium (Oct. 8, 2023)
• The Vikings are 3-6-0 against Idaho and 1-8-1 against EWU under coaches Katie Burton and Maureen Whitney

OFFENSIVE INSIGHTS

• Senior midfielder Abi Hoffman leads the Vikings with six points (2G, 2A), recording an assist in both matches last week
• Hoffman, Aliayha Saldana, and Elle Frazier each have a team-high two goals this season
• Hoffman has a team-high 20 shots, while Saldana leads with 10 shots on goal
• PSU enters Big Sky play averaging 12 shots per game, with a season-high 20 shots in their win against South Dakota (9/8), 16 of those were in the second half
• The Vikings are 2-0-0 when holding the corner kick advantage and 1-1-1 when out-shooting their opponents this season

ALL ABOUT ABI 

• Abi Hoffman scored consecutive goals in the second half against South Dakota (9/8), igniting the Vikings' thrilling comeback (51st and 69th minutes)
• She also set a career-high shot count against USD, recording seven in the game and placing four on target
• She ranks third in the Big Sky with an average of 2.50 shots per game
• She notched the third brace of her career at South Dakota, and has now scored a brace or a hat trick in each of her four seasons at PSU

ABI HOFFMAN'S CAREER RECORD WATCH

• Points: 42 (T-2nd; record is 57)
• Goals: 16 (T-4th; record is 23)
• Assists: 10 (T-9th; record is 16)
• Shots: 142 (4^th; record is 172)
• Shots on Goal: 61 (T-5th; record is 88)

SECOND-HALF SUCCESS

• The Vikings have scored 26 of their last 34 goals (77%) in the second half (20 of 27 in 2023, 6 of 7 in 2024) 
• Before their loss to Hawai'i, the Vikings had gone ten matches without a first-half goal. Elle Frazier ended that streak with a fourth-minute goal against the Rainbow Wahine (9/12)
• Eight of PSU's last 10 wins have been clinched with a game-winner in the final 30 minutes (6 of 8 in 2023, 2 of 2 in 2024)
• Junior forward Ocean Rideout has scored six career goals, with four coming after the 79th minute and three serving as game-winners. Her last three goals have all come after the 82nd minute.

CAREER FIRSTS 

• Elle Frazier (Jr., F) -  scored the fourth goal of her career in the 78th minute at South Dakota to secure the win (9/8), marking her first career game-winning goal
• Sydney Watson (Sr., MF) - assisted Abi Hoffman's first goal against South Dakota (9/8), recording her first career assist
• Aliayha Saldana (Fr., F) -  scored the Vikings' first goal of the season in the opener at Boise State (8/16), marking the first goal of her collegiate career. On Sunday at South Dakota (9/8), she assisted Frazier's game-winner, marking her first collegiate assist
• Kainani Jacang (So., D) - earned her first career assist on Saldana's goal in the season opener at Boise State (8/16)

LOTS OF LIV

• Junior defender Liv Frazier has played every minute of action this season, totaling 720 minutes on the Vikings' back line
• She has logged a full 90 minutes in 21 consecutive games since Sept. 10, 2022, extending her streak to 1,890 minutes
• Frazier has also started 23 straight games, a streak that began her freshman season on Aug. 27, 2022

EXPERIENCE IN GOAL 

• Upperclassmen goalkeepers Natalie Cunningham and Eden Millan have split time in goal this season, each earning a win in non-conference action
• Cunningham totaled a season-high nine saves against Hawai'i, holding the Rainbow Wahine scoreless for 81 minutes despite facing 25 shots
• Millan followed with a career-high performance in her shutout against Seattle U, recording 10 saves in the win
• Cunningham ranks third in the conference with a .788 save% 
• Last year, the duo played a key role in the Vikings' four shutouts, with each contributing to two of them
• Cunningham led the Vikings in 2023 with 58 saves, recording a 6-5-1 record and a 1.39 goals-against average

YOUNG TALENT 

• Three true freshmen have seen action for the Vikings this season: Aliayha Saldana, Grace Sarabia, and Sydney Spotts
• Both Sarabia and Saldana have started all eight matches, combining for 1,191 minutes. Sarabia accounts for 672 of those, playing all but 48 minutes during her freshman campaign so far
• Saldana has been a key part of the Vikings' attack, ranking first in shots on goal (10) and second in points (5) and total shots (16) 

MIGHTY MIDFIELD 

• 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big Sky midfielder, Abi Hoffman, returns to the Vikings' midfield for her senior season. She tallied 18 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 2023 which ranked second in the Big Sky, while her four assists during BSC play led the conference. She also compiled a team-high 48 shots, putting 20 on target. 
• Fellow senior Lucy Quinn, a 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Sky midfielder joins Hoffman in the midfield this season. Quinn has started 36 of her last 37 matches and recorded three goals with two assists over the past two seasons.
• Fifth-year senior Sydney Watson rounds out the experienced group after starting all 18 matches last season, logging 1,424 minutes of action in the midfield. So far, Watson has played all but 11 minutes in 2024.

2024 VIKING ROSTER BREAKDOWN 

• The Vikings return 20 players from their 2023 roster
• They welcome 11 newcomers, including eight true freshmen and three transfers
• Among the returners, eight started at least 12 matches last season
• Out of the 31 players on the roster, 17 hail from the state of Oregon

2024 PORTLAND STATE COACHING STAFF 
In a notable shift this off-season, former Associate Head Coach Maureen Whitney was promoted to Co-Head Coach by Katie Burton, who previously held the position alone. Whitney joined Portland State as an assistant coach in 2017, was elevated to Associate Head Coach the following year, and now steps into the co-head coach role alongside Burton. Both coaches are in their eighth season at PSU this fall. Additionally, Lindsay LaMont, a former Oregon State goalkeeper and Viking assistant coach from the 2022 season, returns to the staff as a full-time assistant, working primarily with the goalkeepers.

2023 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 

• 8-8-2 overall, 4-2-2 BSC
• Third-place finish in final BSC regular season standings
• Most wins since 2017 (8)
• Most All-Conference honorees since 2017 (4)
• Highest win % since 2014 (.500)
• Most goals scored since 2013 (27)
• Advanced to the Big Sky tournament semifinals becoming one of only four teams in program history to win a BSC tournament match