The Viking women have battled their way to a second place seeding in the 11-team Big Sky Conference, finishing with a 6–2–2 league record and 9–5–4 overall. The three-time defending Big Sky regular-season champions look to reclaim their crown as they approach the Big Sky Conference tournament.
The Vikings clinched a spot in the Big Sky tournament with their win over Idaho last Sunday. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Vikings for the eighth straight season. They earned a first-round bye as the second seed in the tournament with their victory over Sacramento State on Halloween.
The team hosted Sacramento State at Hillsboro Stadium in a game which featured two of the hottest teams in the conference, as the Hornets came into Portland on a four-game win streak and the Vikings entered the match on a five-game streak. The victory over Sacramento State cemented their second-place seeding in the Big Sky, as they were able to defeat the Hornets 2–0.
Both goals were scored by Tamia Hasan, the first in the 82nd minute off an assist from Cori Bianchini to take a 1–0 lead late in the game. Hasan’s second goal of the game—and fourth of the season—wrapped up this contest, once again coming from Cori Bianchini just three minutes later.
Last season PSU ended their season with a heart breaking loss to Weber State at the conference tournament finals. The Vikings entered the 2013 tournament as the regular-season champions, with an impressive 8–0–1 record. The top competition for the 2014 conference title will come from tournament host University of Montana, who finished just above PSU with an 8–0–2 record to claim the title of Big Sky regular-season champions.
The Vikings enter the tournament without a loss in their last six games. Their final loss of the season came against Montana on Oct. 5 at Hillsboro Stadium, with a 0–1 final. Montana’s final loss came against University of Hawaii in late September in Missoula, Montana. The Grizzlies found a way to roll through the rest of their schedule in pursuit of the regular–season championship and in hope of the Big Sky Conference tournament honors.
The semifinal round of the Big Sky tournament will kick off Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. where the PSU Vikings will face the winner of the No. 3 and No. 6 seed from the quarterfinals played on Nov. 6. The semifinal matches will be played with just a day off before the championship match on Nov. 9.
You can catch all the tournament action at americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp.
