AMES, Iowa — The Portland State women's soccer team opened its 2025 season with a 2–2 draw on the road against Big 12 opponent Iowa State, showing a lot of fight Thursday evening at Cyclones Soccer Stadium. The Vikings scored first, fell behind, and then clawed back in the final minutes to walk away with the tie.
Thursday marked the opening day of college soccer across the NCAA, with both the Vikings and Cyclones leaving the pitch with a 0-0-1 record heading into the weekend.
It took the Vikings just one shot and a little over 13 minutes to net their first goal of the season, courtesy of
Aliayha Saldana. The reigning Big Sky Freshman of the Year maneuvered past several Cyclone defenders, set herself just beyond the penalty arc, and fired a shot into the top-left corner of the net to give Portland State an early 1-0 lead.
Iowa State responded quickly, leveling the score in the 22nd minute off a corner kick opportunity. The game remained tied at 1-1 heading into halftime. The Cyclones then took their first lead of the evening in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on another offensive push to go up 2-1.
Despite conceding two unanswered goals, the Vikings didn't back down. They held off a flurry of Iowa State corner kicks to stay within striking distance. With under 10 minutes to play,
Carmen Lewis launched a long ball to
Kalo Iongi, who collected it at the top of the box and sent a low shot into the bottom-left corner—just past the outstretched arms of the Cyclones goalkeeper—to secure the equalizer. Both teams recorded a pair of shots in the closing minutes, but neither could find the net before the final whistle.
Statistically, the squads were nearly even. Portland State tallied 12 shots with three on target, while Iowa State recorded 13 shots, including four on goal.
Kamaria Hughes led the Vikings with three shots, while Iongi, Saldana, and
Grace Sarabia each added two. Goalkeeper
Natalie Cunningham played the full 90 minutes for Portland State, finishing with two saves.
The Vikings will remain in the Midwest this weekend as they prepare to face Kansas State on Sunday, Aug. 17, in Manhattan, Kan. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. CT at Buser Family Park.