The Portland State women’s soccer team will attempt to pick up the pieces this week after the University of Washington demolished their winning streak. The 5-0 loss was a shocking wake-up call for the team after four fanciful wins in a row. The women go up against the University of Portland on Wednesday, and if they can’t get it back together, we might witness a recurring nightmare.
PSU just could not seem to handle the aggressive game played by the Huskies last Friday. Washington put 15 shots on goal, while Portland State only took eight. The Huskies proved they were out there to get the win by acquiring 18 fouls and taking five corner kicks, while the Viks just got crushed. In fact, this was the worst loss the Vikings have suffered since 2001.
PSU vs. University of Portland
Unfortunately for the Vikings, they are likely to see no relief from combative play as they go head to head with the UP Pilots this Wednesday. The Pilots are currently on a six-game winning streak. Four of the Pilots’ six wins were shutouts, and one of those shutouts was against the same UW Huskies who shut out PSU.
Senior defender Imani Doresy leads the Pilots mentally. Dorsey is this month’s West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Month. Another of the Pilots’ strongest players is Sophomore Lindsay Huie. Huie has four unassisted goals for the season. One of them was a 19-yard shot to the upper corner in the 79th minute of play. Not bad.
The big question on everyone’s minds should be whether or not the Viks are ready to handle the level of competition the Pilots are ready to give. If the loss in Washington was nothing more than one bad game, the Vikings might be in the clear. On the other hand, if we have just been shown the first sign that the Viks are unqualified to play on a higher scale, this might be the most daunting game the women play all season.
Breakdown
The Pilot women, who are looking for win number seven, are all out warriors on the field. It’s going to take more than beauty sleep for the Viks to win this one. If the Vikings want to be a competitor, they are going to have to forget about their last game and bring out their game. The PSU vs. Pilots game will be held at University of Portland on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m.