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HILLSBORO, Ore. — Senior defender Kayla Henningsen scored on a short corner kick for the second straight match to give the Portland State women's soccer team an early lead that it was able to hold onto for a 1-0 win over Weber State Sunday at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The win comes as nice revenge for the Vikings (6-5-3, 3-2-1 Big Sky), as Sunday's match against the Wildcats (4-11-0, 1-5-0 Big Sky) was a rematch of last season's Big Sky Tournament final, which the Wildcats won in penalty kicks to advance to the NCAA Tournament over the Vikings.
 
Sunday's win also gives the Vikings their first winning streak of the 2014 season, after the team beat Idaho State 1-0 on Friday.
 
"It was important to get two wins on the weekend as we turn toward the home stretch of the regular season," PSU head coach Laura Schott said. "We have had more lineups than usual this year due to an unusual number of injuries. The tough part about that is we haven't sustained the kind of on-field chemistry we would like to enjoy. The good part is that the people who have been asked to step in and step up are doing well and getting better. We hope to continue that trend."
 
Henningsen's early goal helped spark the Vikings in the match, as she scored on a short corner from junior midfielder/forward Cori Bianchini just 2:18 into the match, the earliest the Vikings have scored in a match this season.
 
Henningsen received the ball from Bianchini well outside of the top right corner of the box, and just bent a left-footed shot through seven or eight Weber State defenders and into the left-side netting of the goal.
 
"Kayla is always dangerous and has the ability to score great goals," Schott said. "That was quite a strike."
 
Henningsen scored on a very similar play in the Vikings' last match, too, as she tallied the lone goal of the Vikings' 1-0 win Friday over Idaho State on another short corner. Additionally, Henningsen moves into the all-time top 10 in goals scored at Portland State with the goal, as she now has nine goals in her PSU career, tying her with Juli Edwards (2004-07), Megan Plinski (2002-05) and Kala Renard (2008-11), as well as current teammate Cori Bianchini.
 
Henningsen becomes the Vikings' leading scorer this season with the goal Sunday as well, moving ahead of teammatesAriana Cooley, Tamia Hasan and Mackenzie Bean, who all have two goals this season.
 
Weber State responded well to the goal, however, and immediately began to put pressure on the Vikings for an equalizer.
 
The Wildcats played a particularly strong first half, as they held Portland State to just one shot after Henningsen's goal while recording six of their own. The Wildcats' best chance at an equalizer came late in the second half, however, as the referee awarded the Wildcats a penalty kick in the 83rd minute of the match. A goal there would have likely sent the match to overtime, but the Wildcats missed the penalty, sending it just wide of the left post.
 
The Wildcats had chances for an equalizer earlier in the match, too, including a pair of chances in the 68th minute off a nice build-up between the Wildcats' Mackenzie Harrison and Mackenzie Peck. Peck fed a charging Harrison on the right post on the play, giving Harrison a good look at a shot. Harrison's shot bounced off the crossbar, however, barely missing the net, and Peck sent a follow high after receiving the rebound in front of the Vikings' goal.
 
The Wildcats also had a golden chance come in the 27th minute, as they fielded a poor clearance from the Vikings following a shot from Brecken Holbrook. The mis-clearance left PSU goalkeeper Caitlin Plese scrambling to get back in position with the Wildcats charging, but Wildcat forward Stacy Bair sailed a shot high, and the Vikings escaped the threat without giving up a goal.
 
Plese finished with four saves in Sunday's match, and earned her second straight shutout with the win. Plese now has 15 career shutouts at Portland State, putting her just two away from tying all-time leader Cris Lewis with 17. Plese also earned the 17th goalkeeper win of her career in Sunday's match, moving her into a tie for second all-time in the category at Portland State with Joell Giger (2002-03).
 
The Viking offense, meanwhile, finished the match with just seven total shots, but created many more opportunities than that for a second goal.
 
Sophomore midfielder Bianca Munoz had a good look at a second PSU goal in the 61st minute, when she sent a shot on target from distance that WSU goalkeeper Danielle MacKay was just able to tap over the crossbar.
 
Freshman midfielder Katie Forsee also had a look in the 82nd minute, as she got a header on the end of a corner from sophomore midfielder Aurora Bodenhamer. Weber State defender Ryley Hansen was there to clear the shot from Forsee, however, keeping the Wildcats within a single goal.
 
The Vikings will now head back out on the road for a long road trip to Northern Colorado and North Dakota next weekend. The Vikings will open the road trip at Northern Colorado Friday, Oct. 17, with a match at 7 p.m. (MT). The Vikings will then travel to Grand Forks, N.D., to play North Dakota Sunday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. (CT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings improve to 9-8-4 all-time against Weber State with Sunday's win…The Vikings have not lost to Weber State since 2008, and extended their unbeaten streak over the Wildcats to eight matches with Sunday's win…Bianchini's assist on Henningsen's goal makes her the first Viking with two assists this season, and gives her seven in her PSU career, two away from moving into a tie for ninth all-time at Portland State.

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