PORTLAND, Ore. – Following a two-week break in action, the Portland State women's soccer team is set to resume non-conference play in the Midwest this weekend. In pursuit of their first win of the 2024 season, the Vikings will head to Omaha on Friday, Sept. 6 (4 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. CT) before closing out the road trip at South Dakota on Sunday, Sept. 8 (11 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. CT).
Both matches will be broadcast live on the Summit League Network, with a subscription required to view the streams. Live stats will also be available for fans.
2024 PORTLAND STATE SOCCER NOTES -- WEEK FOUR
PORTLAND STATE (0-3-0) AT OMAHA (3-0-2)
Friday, Sept. 6 | 4:00 PM PT/6:00 PM CT | Caniglia Field (Omaha, Neb.)
Watch on Summit League Network | Live Stats
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All-time Series: 0-0-0
Omaha's 2023 Record: 7-5-7 (3-1-4 Summit – 2
nd place in tournament)
Head Coach: Tim Walters (8
th season)
NOTES: Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Omaha enters the match undefeated through five matches and ranks seventh in the West Region, according to the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA DI regional rankings. The Mavericks have earned wins over Southern Utah, Lindenwood, and Drake, outscoring their opponents 7-2 this season. Redshirt senior forward Marissa Gohr leads the team with three assists and two goals heading into Friday's matchup with the Vikings.
PORTLAND STATE (0-3-0) AT SOUTH DAKOTA (2-2-1)
Sunday, Sept. 8 | 11:00 AM PT/1:00 PM CT | First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex (Vermillion, S.D.)
Watch on Summit League Network |
Live Stats
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All-time Series: Tied, 0-0-1
Only Meeting: Aug. 28, 2022 (T, 2-2)
South Dakota's 2023 Record: 7-7-4 (3-4-1 Summit)
Head Coach: Michael Thomas (7
th season)
NOTES: Sunday's match will be only the second meeting between the two programs. Their previous encounter ended in a 2-2 draw at Hillsboro Stadium in 2022. The Coyotes (2-2-1) have recorded wins over Morningside and Drake this season and will face Central Michigan on the road this Thursday before hosting the Vikings. South Dakota has scored nine goals in five matches, averaging 14.4 shots per game, and has seen contributions from seven different goal scorers. Leading their attack is fifth-year forward Ashby Johnston, a 2023 Second Team All-Summit League selection.
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LAST TIME OUT - VS. KANSAS STATE
Friday marks the Vikings' return to action after a two-week break following their home opener against Kansas State on Thursday, Aug. 22. In that match, the Wildcats scored a set-piece goal in the 43rd minute and added another score just 35 seconds into the second half. The Vikings fell 2-0 despite out-shooting Kansas State 16-8
VIKS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Vikings have conceded two goals in all three of their matches thus far
- They average 12.67 shots per game, the fourth-highest mark in the Big Sky
- 10 of their 38 total shots have been on target, with a season-high six shots on goal in their most recent outing against Kansas State
- Elle Frazier and Abi Hoffman lead the team with seven shots apiece, with Hoffman also recording a team-high four shots on goal
- The Vikings have earned 10 corner kicks compared to their opponents' 18
- Defenders Liv Frazier and Cameron Dixon have played the full 90 minutes in all three matches this season
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.
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
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
EXPERIENCE IN GOAL
- Upperclassmen goalkeepers Natalie Cunningham and Eden Millan split time in goal for the Vikings during week one before Cunningham earned the start in the home opener against Kansas State
- The duo played a key role in the Vikings' four shutouts in 2023, with each contributing to two of them
- Cunningham led the Vikings a year ago with 58 saves, recording a 6-5-1 record and a 1.39 goals-against average
- In her first and only start of the 2024 season so far, Millan recorded seven saves at Oregon, setting a new career high
- Cunningham also recorded seven saves in her first start of the season, doing so on the road at Boise State
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 three matches, combining for 417 minutes of action
- Saldana and sophomore Kainani Jacang teamed up for the Vikings' only goal of the season so far, with Saldana netting her first career goal and Jacang notching her first career assist in the season opener at Boise State
SECOND-HALF MAGIC
- The Vikings have scored 21 of their last 28 goals in the second half (20-of-27 in 2023, 1-of-1 in 2024)
- Nine of those 28 goals came with less than ten minutes remaining in regulation
- In 2023, the Vikings secured six of their eight wins with a decisive goal in the final 30 minutes of play
- Junior forward Ocean Rideout has netted three game-winning goals in her career and led the team in game-winners as a freshman in 2022
VIKINGS' 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
