Last-shot loss

After 110 minutes of play that ended in a 1-1 tie, the Portland State women’s soccer season came to an end on Friday night with an agonizing 4-3 loss in the first conference shootout since 2006.

“The entire night, we had a great game. I had no doubt that we were going to win,” said Portland State head coach Laura Schott, after her team was upset by fourth-seeded Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Semifinals in a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout.

“There is no team that I would rather have going into a penalty kick situation, and things didn’t go our way tonight,” she said.

Schott started the match against Northern Arizona on Friday with the same 11 players that started most of Portland State’s conference games this season, and she was rewarded almost instantaneously. In the fifth minute, senior Dolly Enneking scored the first goal of the game off a double assist from freshmen Michelle Hlasnik and Amanda Dutra.

Enneking, the season’s Big Sky Offensive MVP and Golden Boot Award winner, slotted the ball towards Northern Arizona goalkeeper Tori Rocke’s left post to send the Viks up 1-0. The goal was her 12th of the season, and with it she tied the school’s single-season points record of 27 set in 2002.

Enneking’s attacking partner, junior Frankie Ross said, “We came out on fire in the game and kept attacking. I wish we had kept that tempo up for the entire half.”

The Vikings couldn’t capitalize on their one-goal advantage, and the Lumberjacks scored in the 34th minute. Northern Arizona’s Jenna Samora latched onto a long pass by teammate Sarah Neatherton, and slipped the ball past Vikings keeper and Big Sky Defensive MVP Cris Lewis. After hitting the inside of the post, the ball nestled into the net to tie the match at 1-1.

During the high-intensity first half, Portland State had four offensive substitutions to try and keep fresh legs in the game, as the Viks looked to take the lead again. Northern Arizona head coach Andre Luciano, in an effort to contain the relentless waves of Portland State attacks, could be heard urging his team to simplify the game and not defend flat against Portland State.

At the half, the teams headed into the break still tied.

Late in the second half, Portland State again had a chance to close out the game. Sophomore Esty Geiger tested the Lumberjacks’ keeper in the 88th minute with a long, audacious lob. The ball struck the outside of the crossbar before going out of play. After 90 minutes of aggressive play, the score remained 1-1.

In the first overtime, Ross shot wide what would have been the Viks’ game winner. The only shot on goal in the period came from Northern Arizona’s Kristi Andreassen, but Lewis held strong in the net for the Viks.

 In the second period of overtime, Portland State freshman Megan Martin fired a powerful volley at the Northern Arizona goal only to have it palmed away by Rocke. The Vikings led the Lumberjacks 6-1 in corner kicks and tied for attempts at goal with 14 shots in the match.

After failing to break the deadlock after 110 minutes of action, Portland State headed into its first penalty kick shootout of the season, egged on by a recorded crowd of nearly 500.

Despite Lewis’ record-breaking season in front of the net for Portland State, with the shootout tied at 3-3 going into the last kick, Northern Arizona’s Sarah Neatherton scored to win it 4-3 and lead her team into the Big Sky Finals.

“We played well for the most part, and it’s unfortunate we couldn’t get a winner. There was no doubt at any point during the game that we were going to win it,” Lewis said. “But I am happy with the team, and I wouldn’t have wanted to enter this game with any other group of girls.”

In a message to the fans that turned up for the match in huge numbers, she said, “They were awesome. We couldn’t give them a win, but it was great to have them here.”

In Friday’s other semifinal, Idaho State edged out Eastern Washington 2-1. In the Big Sky Championship match on Sunday, Northern Arizona went on to win its second consecutive postseason title by demolishing Idaho State, 4-0.

After a historic run this season, the record-breaking Vikings now take an offseason break before the start of their 2010 campaign.

“I think the team now knows that they really are good enough,” Schott said when asked about the lessons leaned over the season. “Sometimes we battle thinking that we are not as good as we are, but we shouldn’t be that modest. Sometimes we are better than we think.”

Team                        Portland State    Northern Arizona

Regulation goals       1                          1
Shots                         14                      14
Corners                      6                         1
Shootout goals           3                          4