Portland State University Athletics

HILLSBORO, Ore. — For 80 of the 90 minutes in Thursday's season opener, the Portland State women's soccer team held a Power Four team in Oregon at bay. But a 10-minute stretch in the second half netted three goals for the Ducks, giving them a 3-0 win over the Vikings in both team's season opener at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
Goalkeepers Finley Crabtree and Alyssa Green saved seven shots between them. Crabtree had five while playing the first 74 minutes of the game. She had a standout moment in the 31st minute, punching away an initial cross to prevent a header from six yards out. Oregon's Miya Alamares collected the punch out in the box. She took one quick touch before directing the ball back towards the net, only to have Crabtree dive to her right and make a save.
 
The breakthrough for the Ducks (1-0-0) came in the 55th minute. Oregon's Ellie Felt sent a ball long from midfield to Shiloh Baird behind the PSU defense. Baird had Crabtree beat after dribbling around her to the left, but she stumbled on the ball before she could get a shot off. The ball rolled to the Ducks' Carly Cormack, who fired it into the net from 12 yards out.
 
Cormack scored the Ducks' second goal, too, in the 59th minute. This time Abella Hunter slipped a ball to her on the right side of the box, and Cormack shot the ball across the net to the bottom left corner.
 
Baird got the goal she deserved earlier in the 64th minute, scoring from just outside the left side of the box on a floating ball into the right-side netting.
 
The Vikings' biggest threat on the Ducks' goal came in the first half. Aliayha Saldana had a step on her defender as she tried to chase down a long ball. Oregon goalkeeper Gray Willson just beat her to the ball. If she were a split second later, then Saldana could have dribbled around her and had an open look at the goal.
 
The Vikings finished with seven shots but didn't put any on frame. Seven different players recorded the Vikings' seven shots.
 
After opening their season at home, the Vikings will now hit the road for their next three matches, starting with a match at UNLV this Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.
 
MATCH NOTES:

• The Vikings fell to a 4-14-1 against the Ducks after Thursday's loss. The Ducks have now won the last five in the series after the Vikings beat them 1-0 in overtime on Sept. 12, 2014.
• Saldana came off the bench for the first time in her career. She had started all 35 matches from her freshman and sophomore seasons, but had dealt with an injury during preseason training, forcing her to start the match on the bench.
• Green finished with two saves over the final 16 minutes of the match in goal.
• Ocean Rideout subbed on in the 39th minute, making her first appearance in what will be her fifth year at Portland State.

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