All tied up

Last season, Sacramento State handed the Vikings two consecutive losses at the end of the season. The first loss dropped Portland State to the number four seed in the conference tournament, and the second loss ended the Vikings’ season.

But on a Halloween night game, the Vikings exacted a little revenge over the Hornets, who needed a win to qualify for the Big Sky Tournament.

After the 110-minute match was over, the Vikings were headed to the tournament as the second seed and Sacramento State headed home after an evenly matched marathon game, which spanned two full overtime periods, ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

The draw was not without consequence for Portland State, who fell to second place in the conference and will face a tougher draw in the opening round of the tournament this weekend.

A victory would have also clinched the opportunity to host the Big Sky Tournament in Portland. Weber State earned that right when they defeated Idaho State on Saturday and will host the tournament this weekend in Ogden, Utah.

With their season on the line, the Hornets came into Friday’s match with a strong will to survive, launching eight shots at Portland State junior goalkeeper Cris Lewis in the first half. Portland State also had eight shots on goal during the first stanza.

In the second half, the offensive battle continued with each team firing eight more shots a piece, but Lewis and Sacramento State freshman goalkeeper Savannah Abercrombie protected their nets, with seven and nine saves on the day, respectively.

The shutout was the second in a row for Lewis, who also held the Idaho State Bengals scoreless on Oct. 25. With so much postseason significance riding on the outcome of the game, it is no wonder the match was as physical as any the Vikings have played this season.

Although only one yellow card was handed out, to Hornet defender Misty Matzen on a hard foul in the second half, both teams went after the ball with ferocity, never shying away from contact.

“All the girls who have been here for a couple of years know how important conference is,” Lewis said of the heightened intensity of the game.

In the closing minutes of the first sudden-death overtime, Sacramento State senior forward Kayelyn Satkowski had a golden opportunity to end the game when she found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

But Lewis showed once again why she is among the top goalies in the conference, putting enough pressure on the attacker to force the shot wide.

In the last minute of the second and final extra period, it was Portland State’s turn for a close call. With the clock showing only 35 ticks remaining, sophomore forward Iman Bearde seized the ball for a high-speed breakaway, firing a shot from the top of the box that was just barely snagged by the Hornets’ goalkeeper.

With the draw, the Vikings earn the second seed in the Big Sky Tournament, where they will face Northern Arizona in a semi-final match on Thursday, Nov. 6.

In the other semi-final showdown, top seeded Weber State will take on the fourth seeded Montana. The Grizzlies earned the right to play in the tournament, despite having a tied conference record with the Hornets, because they defeated Sacramento State 1-0 earlier this season.

The winners of the two games will match up on Saturday, Nov. 8, with a birth in the NCAA College Cup on the line.

The Vikings played Northern Arizona to a scoreless draw on Oct. 12, so fans can expect another tight matchup next weekend. But head coach Laura Schott doesn’t plan on doing anything special to ready her squad for next week’s game.

“We prepare for every game the same way,” she has said. “We don’t change our style of play for any team.”