After a rollercoaster season that began with a stifling nonconference schedule and ended with a late-season surge to capture the second seed in the Big Sky Tournament, the Vikings will finally get the chance to prove their mettle in the postseason.
Tournament play begins today in Ogden, Utah, when the Vikings’ take on the third-seeded Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at the home of tournament host Weber State.
The winner of that game will advance to the Big Sky Championship on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Portland State has already seen the Lumberjacks once this season, when the teams battled through two extra periods en route to a 0-0 draw.
In fact, Portland State has seen all three of the tournament contenders during their conference schedule, but head coach Laura Schott knows that the tournament is a whole different beast. The Vikings carry a 1-1-1 record against the other three teams that qualified.
“You win to stay alive,” Schott said. “The consequences are immediate.”
Portland State comes into the tournament accustomed to intense matches and immediate consequences. On Oct. 31, the Vikings hosted Sacramento State in a game that featured the intensity and desperation of a tournament match.
In the final regular season game for each team, the right to host the Big Sky Tournament was at stake for the Vikings and a berth in the tournament hung in the balance for the Hornets.
The game, rife with physical play and hard fouls, wrapped up in a 0-0 tie that stripped the Vikings of home-field advantage and ended Sacramento’s bid for the postseason.
Coach Schott believes that the women should expect more of the same heading into the tournament this weekend.
“The teams that made it are generally physical teams,” Schott said. “[The tournament atmosphere] adds a little more to it. Everyone is playing to continue their season.”
In addition to the Vikings’ match against Northern Arizona on Thursday, top seed Weber State will take on the fourth seed Montana Grizzlies to determine who will advance to the Big Sky Championship game.
When they last traveled to Ogden to face the Wildcats on Oct. 9, the Grizzlies fell 1-0 to the hosts, who out shot their guests 26 to six.
As for the Vikings, the mood around the team is one of anticipation and preparation. The opportunity that the team has been working toward all season has finally arrived, and Schott believes that her players are ready.
“There are nerves, of course, but nerves are good,” Schott said. “We are definitely confident, and we can’t wait to get on the plane and get out to Ogden. There’s a lot of excitement.”