By Dannielle Lowe
The women's soccer team defeated Tennessee 3-0 Saturday to advance to the fourth round of the national tournament where it will get another opportunity to face UCLA.
Frigid air added to the excitement at Merlo Field Saturday evening as the Portland Pilots went to work against a defensively tough Tennessee team before a sold-out crowd of 4,841 fans. Tennessee came into the third-round match up off a two-game shut out streak. But the Lady Vols could not shut out Portland.
Almost immediately, the Pilots began to drill shots at the Tennessee goal, forcing the Lady Vols keeper, Jaimel Johnson, to work hard.
The first goal came early in the 16th minute. Freshman Sophie Schmidt hit sophomore Michelle Enyeart with a leading pass toward the top of the box. Enyeart then sent a sharp shot to the right of the net, clearing a diving Johnson, and putting the Pilots ahead with a score of 1-0.
"It was nice to get ahead early," Enyeart said. "It's the third round of the playoffs and we know that it is the last game if we lose. All the teams come out with a high level of energy, and we have to try and put one away no matter how long it takes."
According to Head Coach Garrett Smith, the team came out strong and did exactly what it wanted to do - score goals early and keep shutting out teams.
The second goal came shortly after the first.
Less than two minutes after the previous attack, Portland was deep in Tennessee territory again. Schmidt broke away and fired a deep shot toward the goal. Tennessee's Johnson stepped up with what looked like a huge save.
But, when her defender went to clear it out, she practically fed it to senior midfielder Natalie Budge, who willingly accepted the gift. Budge returned to sender as she drilled the ball into the goal.
The Pilots came out in the second half with equal intensity.
Mere minutes into the half, Portland scored a third goal. Senior defender Stephanie Lopez passed the ball to an open Enyeart at the top of the arc. Enyeart, with one touch, drilled the ball into the top right corner of the net, eliminating any chance of Johnson stopping the shot.
Things would have been a lot worse for Tennessee had it not been for Johnson's strong defense. Despite giving up three goals, Johnson finished the night setting a career high 12 saves.
Portland keeper Kelsey Davis also did her part. Davis made three saves for the night, helping the Pilots get their 14th-straight shut out.
Defense has been a major key to Portland's success, according to Schmidt.
"We have a tremendous back four, goalkeeper and midfielders," Schmidt said. "It's nerve-settling to know that they're back there and they will correct anything that happens. It gives us the opportunity to be more creative with how we play, which is a great thing."
While the women took care of business here in Portland, the men hit the road traveling north to Seattle where they faced the University of Washington in the first round of the men's national soccer tournament. Despite a diligent effort, the Pilots came up short, losing 1-0.
For the first eighty-six minutes, the game was a stalemate full of defense and very few shots. The winning goal came late in the game after Washington was awarded a penalty kick.
Sophomore defender Brayton Knapp took down Washington's Matt Van Houten inside the box. Van Houten got a half step ahead, forcing Knapp to foul. Washington's Ely Allen took the kick, sending the ball into the net's left corner and putting the Huskies ahead 1-0. The goal was enough to give Washington the win.
While the Portland men celebrate the conclusion to a successful season, the women will head south to California where they will play on UCLA's turf at Drake Stadium. UCLA is the last standing No. 1 seed, tomorrow in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m.
UCLA eliminated Portland last year with 2-1 come-from-behind win, but the Pilots defeated the Bruins in the 2005 NCAA championship match where UP won 4-0 and brought home the trophy. Earlier this season, the Pilots suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to UCLA.
According to Enyeart, things will hopefully be different this time around.
"Unlike before, it is do or die now and hopefully we will come out and we'll get the better of them this time," she said.
