Last Sunday at Hillsboro Stadium, the Portland State University women’s soccer team delivered a triumphant performance, coming from behind to seize a victory over the Weber State Wildcats in overtime.
At the end of regulation time, despite PSU having almost triple the number of shots on goal than the visiting team, the two teams remained tied, 1-1, moving the match into sudden-victory overtime. Four minutes into extra time, PSU senior Breanne Chilton-Eddy floated in a golden goal from outside the box so gorgeous it was featured on Fox Sports and ESPN.
“We’ve come so far this year and there was nothing I wanted more than for my team to win,” Chilton-Eddy said. “It was an awesome way to end our senior day.”
Prior to the match, Chilton-Eddy was honored alongside four teammates—Aurora Bodenhamer, Nikia Evans, Bianca Munoz and Kristin Moyer—for the Vikings’ Senior Day.
Chilton-Eddy’s goal was a cathartic end to a long, hard-fought match for the women’s soccer team. After an early goal by Weber State’s Lana Willard, putting the Wildcats up 1-0 in the seventh minute, Portland State rallied, largely maintaining possession for the remainder of the first half.
Midfielders Katie Forsee and Liv Jillings persistently worked the ball up the flanks, and forward Krystal de Ramos was tenacious, pressing Weber State’s back line and often taking on multiple defenders.
In the 30th minute, De Ramos’ perseverance paid off, when Weber State goalkeeper Sydnie Brough bobbled a save. When the ball slipped from her hands, De Ramos was inches away, and shot the loose ball into the goal to equalize the score.
Despite several more close chances throughout the remainder of the match—including a three-shot attempt by Chilton-Eddy, Bodenhamer and PSU freshman Tamera Mikamura that was rebuffed twice by Brough before being headed out of bounds by Weber defender Nicolle Allen—the tied score held for the rest of regulation time, broken finally by Chilton-Eddy’s memorable overtime goal.
In the fourth minute of extra play, from the right sideline, De Ramos slotted the ball through two Weber State defenders to Chilton-Eddy’s feet. Chilton-Eddy took one touch, repositioned, then lofted a high, arcing shot from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box.
The ball found the back of the net, just between the crossbar and Brough’s outstretched fingers, and the Vikings’ bench instantly streamed onto the field in celebration.
This victory is crucial for the Vikings as they head into Friday’s home match against the Sacramento State Hornets. With a win, Portland State will clinch a spot in the upcoming Big Sky tournament. Currently, the team is in seventh place, with the top six teams participating in the tournament.
Friday’s kickoff against Sacramento is at 1 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium.
