Deadlocked in a battle for the top spot in the Big Sky rankings, the women’s soccer team suffered their first conference setback on Thursday in a 2-0 road defeat to Weber State (7-7-2, 4-1-0 Big Sky). Not only did the loss blemish the Vikings'(4-10-3, 3-1-1 BSC undefeated conference record, but the Wildcats’ victory supplanted the Vikings as the top team in the Big Sky.
After their offense had come alive in recent games, racking up a total of six goals last weekend alone, the Vikings hoped to take one step closer to their second Big Sky tournament berth in as many seasons.
But due to a stifling Weber State defense that handed Portland State its first shut-out since Oct. 5 the Vikings head to Pocatello, Idaho in second place in the conference.
The PSU defense had its share of woes as well, including an early mistake that led to Weber State’s first goal.
Junior goalkeeper Cris Lewis lost her footing while attempting a goal kick in the 13th minute and Weber State senior forward Whitney Smith pounced on the misfired ball before the Portland State defense could react. The ball found the back of the net for the first score of the game.
“We got off to a slow start and they got a goal early,” said PSU head coach Laura Schott. “From that point on, we were chasing them.”
For the rest of the first half and much of the second, the score remained fixed at 1-0, with both teams finding little opportunity to change the scoreboard.
In the 83rd minute, Weber State freshman midfielder Collette Simmons added a goal and put the game out of reach.
Viking sophomore midfielder Frankie Ross came close to collecting her third goal in as many games, but her shot in the 84th minute ricocheted off the post.
The Vikings attack mustered only 10 shots in the match, a far cry from the season-high 25 they unleashed against Eastern Washington last Sunday.
Schott viewed her team’s poor offensive performance on Thursday as a step back from their recent progress.
“Old habits are tough to break,” she said, alluding to the team’s shaky 1-9-2 start to the season. “They’ve come a long way, but there’s obviously still work to be done.”
Following the tough loss, Schott seemed optimistic as the team heads north to take on a struggling Idaho State team.
“This was a tough loss for us, no doubt, but the women know to look ahead to the rest of our season,” Schott said. “We’re still in good position.”