Complete week two notes for Portland State women's soccer (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State women's soccer team heads out on its first road trip of the 2014 season this weekend, as the Vikings play at the USF Tournament this Friday and Sunday at Negoesco Stadium in San Francisco, Calif.
 
The Vikings face tournament-host San Francisco Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. (PT), then play No. 21 California Sunday, Aug. 31, at 12 p.m. (PT).
 
The matches will be a tough test for the Vikings, who are coming off a record-breaking weekend last weekend in which the Vikings broke the Big Sky record for longest unbeaten streak, extending their streak to 15 straight matches without a loss. The Vikings tied Weber State's 1998 team for the record at the end of last season, but moved past them with a win and draw against Utah Valley and Boise State last weekend, respectively.
 
LIVE STATS:
Live stats for the USF Tournament can be found here, or on the Vikings' schedule page on GoViks.com here.
 
LIVE VIDEO:
Live video for the Vikings' match against San Francisco will also be available through TheW.tv here.
 
SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO:
The Vikings have had trouble scoring against the San Francisco Dons (1-1-0) in the past, and the Dons won't make things any easier for the Vikings in 2014, either. The Vikings have not scored a goal against the Dons in any of their past three matches against them, and feature one of the top goalkeepers in the nation for her age group in junior Madalyn Schiffel. Schiffel was invited to the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team camp in the spring, a year after she was invited to the U.S. U-18 Women's National Team camp. The Vikings faced Schiffel last season, as the two team's played to a 0-0 draw at Hillsboro Stadium on Sept. 22. The Vikings outshot the Dons 11-7 in that match, but Schiffel made six saves to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard. Besides Schiffel, the Dons also feature Chile U-20 Women's National Team member Leticia Torres, as well as 2013 All-WCC honorable mention Halle Bissin and 2013 All-WCC Freshman Team selection Jessica Nakae on a deep defensive unit. The Dons opened their 2014 season last Friday, and lost 3-1 to the then-23rd-ranked Golden Bears in their season opener. The Dons turned around and beat Nevada 3-0 on Sunday, however, the team's best offensive performance in a match in almost two years. The Dons' three goals against the Wolf Pack were the most the Dons had scored in almost two years, as they failed to score more than two goals in a match last season. The Dons only scored 12 goals during all of last season, and did not have a player total more than six points for them. Sophomore midfielder Amanda Whittle was one of three players to lead the team with six points last season, and leads the Dons in points again through the first weekend of the season in 2014. Whittle scored the Dons' lone goal in the match against Cal, then assisted on the opening goal of their win over Nevada. Nakae, meanwhile, was one of three different goal scorers for the Dons against Nevada, along with senior midfielder Jaciara Mello and freshman forward Maddy Glaser.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO:
The Vikings' 0-0 draw with San Francisco last season was the team's first positive result against the Dons in the all-time series between the two teams. The Dons had won the first four matches between the teams before last season, and have outscored the Vikings by a combined score of 9-2 in the series. Additionally, the Dons are 3-0-0 in San Francisco, where the Vikings will face the Dons this season. PSU head coach Laura Schott has coached against the Dons twice in her PSU career, and is 0-1-1 in those matches.
 
SCOUTING NO. 21 CALIFORNIA:
The Cal Golden Bears (2-0-0) had a great opening weekend to the season, as they followed a 3-1, season-opening win over San Francisco on Friday with a 2-1, overtime win over then-No. 10 Santa Clara on Sunday. The Bears rose two spots in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll to No. 21 after the wins. The Bears have featured a balanced attack so far this season, as four different players have scored their five goals so far this season. Senior midfielder Lorin Hom leads the team with two goals scored so far this season, including the game-winning penalty kick in overtime against Santa Clara. Junior forward Ifeoma Onumonu also scored a goal for the Bears last weekend, and could be a breakout star for the Bears this season. Onumonu was named to the Herman Trophy Watch List before last season, and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year during the 2012 season. Besides those two, Arielle Ship recorded a goal and assist in the Bears' match against San Francisco to open the season, while junior forward/midfielder Samantha Witteman scored the game-tying goal against Santa Clara on Sunday. Defensively, Emily Boyd saw all the action in goal for the Bears last weekend, and made five saves out of seven total shots on goal against her. Last season, the Bears went 11-5-5 overall and finished fifth in the Pac-12 with a 4-4-3 conference record. The Bears qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, too, making them one of two NCAA Tournament teams the Vikings will face in their non-conference schedule this season (Texas Tech is the other), though the Bears return only three of their starters from last season's tournament team. The match against the Bears will also pit PSU head coach Laura Schott against her former team for the second time in her coaching career at Portland State. Schott, the all-time leading goal scorer in Cal history with 56 goals, also faced her alma mater in 2009, when the Vikings lost a 1-0 road match to the then-No. 9-ranked Bears.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST CALIFORNIA:
The Vikings are 0-2-0 all-time against Cal, having lost 6-0 to the Bears in 1996 and 1-0 in 2009. The Vikings' two previous meetings against the Bears were both at Cal, making Sunday's match the first non-road match for the Vikings in the all-time series against the Bears.
 
VIKINGS VERSUS RANKED TEAMS:
The Vikings' match against Cal will be the team's first against a ranked opponent this season. The Vikings are 0-5-0 against ranked teams under head coach Laura Schott, and 0-8-0 all-time against ranked opponents. The Vikings last played a ranked opponent last season, when the Vikings lost 3-2 to then-No. 14 Marquette at home.
 
VIKINGS VERSUS PAC-12 SCHOOLS:
The match against Cal on Sunday will also be the first of two matches the Vikings play against Pac-12 opponents this season (a home match against Oregon on Sept. 12 being the other). The Vikings are 7-32-2 all-time against current Pac-12 teams, while head coach Laura Schott is 1-10-0 against Pac-12 opponents in her six previous seasons at Portland State. The Vikings last beat a Pac-12 opponent in 2009, when they opened the season with a 1-0 road win at Oregon State.
 
PSU BREAKS BIG SKY RECORD FOR LONGEST UNBEATEN STREAK:
With their 1-0 win over Utah Valley to open the season Friday, the Vikings broke the Big Sky record for longest unbeaten streak, extending their streak to 14 straight matches without a loss. The Vikings had tied Weber State's 1998 record of 13 at the end of last season, and moved past the Wildcats with the win over Utah Valley. Portland State posted a dominant performance in setting the record, as they outshot Utah Valley 20-2 in the match. The Vikings followed their record-setting win with a 1-1 draw with Boise State on Sunday, too, extending their unbeaten streak to 15 matches. The Vikings went down 1-0 when Boise State scored on a free kick late in the first half, but squared the match with a 55th-minute goal from senior midfielder Ariana Cooley.
 
KELSEY HENNINGSEN NAMED BIG SKY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Senior defender Kelsey Henningsen was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday after the team's record-setting weekend. Henningsen and the Viking defense held Utah Valley to just two shots in their record-setting win over the Wolverines on Friday, while Henningsen then started the play that led to senior midfielder Ariana Cooley's game-tying goal in the Vikings' 1-1 draw with Boise State on Sunday. The player of the week honor is the second of Henningsen's career after she earned defensive player of the week honors on Oct. 15 last season following the Vikings' matches against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
 
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Vikings remain on the road for another week following the USF Tournament, as they travel to face Colorado State and No. 16 Texas Tech next weekend. The Vikings face Colorado State Friday, Sept. 5, at 12 p.m. (MT), then face Texas Tech Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. (CT).
 
STREAKING:
Besides the Vikings' record-setting 15-match unbeaten streak, the Vikings also carry several other streaks going into the weekend. The Vikings hold a six-match winning streak in true road matches going into the weekend, and hold a 10-match home unbeaten streak. Additionally, junior goalkeeper Caitlin Plese, who saw her first action of the season against Boise State on Sunday, takes a 411:57 individual shutout streak into the weekend. Plese and the rest of the PSU defense have also not allowed more than one goal in a match in their past 18 contests.
 
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Vikings started the 2014 season right from where they left off defensively last season. The Vikings set program records for shutouts (12) and goals-against average (0.76) last season, and recorded their first shutout of the 2014 season against Utah Valley on Friday. Additionally, the Vikings held Utah Valley to just two shots in their match Friday, matching the lowest total by a PSU opponent last season. The Vikings were particularly dominant defensively against Big Sky opponents, as they only gave up three goals to Big Sky opponents, two of which came on penalty kicks. Overall last season, the Vikings led the Big Sky with a 0.32 goals-against average in conference matches, more than half a point lower than the next-best team, Northern Colorado at 0.84. The Vikings also led the Big Sky with 12 shutouts overall last season, four more than any other team.
 
FINDING A LEADING SCORER:
One question mark that remains after the first weekend of play for the Vikings is who will take over as the team's leading scorer? Freshman forward Mackenzie Bean and senior midfielder Ariana Cooley split the goal-scoring duties last weekend, leaving the seat still open for a leading scorer to emerge. The Vikings lost last season's leading scorer, Eryn Brown, who led the Vikings in goals (8), assists (5) and points (21), and was part of 13 of the team's 31 goals scored. Junior midfielder/forwardCori Bianchini could be one potential replacement, however, as she finished second on the team in goals (5), assists (4) and points (14) last season. Cooley also could help replaced Brown, as she ranked third on the team in goals (4) and points (10). The team should have plenty of options overall, though, as the Vikings returned seven of their top nine scorers from last season.
 
END-OF-SEASON GOAL:
The Portland State women's soccer team has a clear agenda for its 2014 season: get to the NCAA Tournament. A tournament berth would be the Vikings' first-ever in program history, and would likely come via a Big Sky Tournament title, which would end to a series of frustrating results for the Vikings in the conference tournament. The Vikings have never won the Big Sky Tournament despite winning four of the past five Big Sky regular-season titles, as well as six regular-season titles overall. The Vikings made the tournament final for just the second time in program history last season, but fell 3-0 in penalty kicks after finishing tied with Weber State after regulation and two overtime periods. Overall, the Vikings are 2-7-3 in Big Sky Tournament matches.
 
DEFENDING THE TITLE
The Vikings enter the 2014 season as the three-time defending Big Sky champions after winning regular-season titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Vikings won their most recent title in the most convincing fashion, as they went unbeaten in the Big Sky Conference for the first time in program history. The Vikings won the Big Sky regular-season title in 2009 as well, giving them titles in four of the last five seasons. The Vikings should be well positioned to defend their title in 2014, too, as they return 10 starters from last season, as well as 17 letterwinners.
 
VIKINGS TABBED AS NARROW FAVORITES IN BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL
Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings as slight favorites over Weber State in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' poll, released earlier this month. Both teams received five first-place votes in the poll, but the Vikings finished with one more point at 93 to Weber State's 92. Besides the Vikings and Wildcats, Northern Arizona picked up the remaining first-place vote to finish third in the poll with 86 points, while Northern Colorado (69), Montana (62), Idaho State (52), Sacramento State (51), Southern Utah (32), Idaho (29), Eastern Washington (27) and North Dakota (12) rounded out the poll.
 
HENNINGSON TWINS' SWAN SONG:
Senior defenders and twin sisters Kayla and Kelsey Henningsen enter their fourth and final year within the Portland State women's soccer program this season. The Henningsen twins, prized recruits when they came into the program, have seen unprecedented success since joining the Vikings, as neither has been on a team that didn't win at least a share of the Big Sky regular-season title, while both have also earned numerous individual honors during their PSU careers. Kayla was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP last season, while both Kayla and Kelsey were named All-Big Sky honorees (Kayla: 1st team; Kelsey: 2nd team). Additionally, both Kayla and Kelsey earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII second-team honors last season.
 
NON-CONFERENCE TESTS
The Vikings have set up a tough non-conference schedule for themselves in 2014. Of the Vikings' eight non-conference opponents, four of them finished in the top half of their respective conferences, including 2013 NCAA National Tournament participants Texas Tech of the Big 12 and California of the Pac-12. The Vikings will also face several individual stars during the non-conference schedule, as four of their opponents have members playing some level of international youth soccer.
           
Opposing players with national team camp or playing experience:

• Madalyn Schiffel, junior goalkeeper for San Francisco – U.S. U-20 Women's National Team
• Leticia Torres, junior defender for San Francisco – Chile U-20 Women's National Team
• Jaelene Hinkle, senior defender for Texas Tech – U.S. U-23 Women's National Team
• Janine Beckie, junior forward for Texas Tech – U.S. U-20 Women's National Team
• Bri Pugh, senior defender for Oregon – U.S. U-23 Women's National Team
• Marlo Sweatman, sophomore midfielder for Oregon – Jamaica U-20 Women's National Team

             
NEWCOMERS
The Vikings added 10 incoming freshmen during the 2014 signing period, giving the team extra depth going into the season. Of the 10 incoming freshmen, the Vikings signed two goalkeepers, one defender, five midfielders and two forwards. The 10 freshmen also come from six different states between Oregon (3), California (2), Washington (2), Colorado (1), Arizona (1) and Illinois (1).
 
THORNS FC GOALKEEPER CRIS LEWIS RETURNS TO ALMA MATER AS VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT:
Cris Lewis, the all-time leader at Portland State in shutouts, saves and goalkeeper wins, will return this season as a volunteer assistant coach. Lewis, the 2009 Big Sky Defensive MVP, will work closely with this year's crop of goalkeepers, which includes 2013 Big Sky Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Caitlin Plese. Plese ranks just six shutouts behind Lewis on the all-time list at PSU, and could pass Lewis as Lewis coaches her this season. Since leaving PSU, Lewis has played off and on with Portland Thorns FC as an amateur. Lewis started the Thorns' match against the Chicago Red Stars on June 1, 2013.
 
2013 SEASON REVIEW
The 2013 season was easily one of the best in program history, as the Vikings completed their first unbeaten run through the Big Sky Conference at 8-0-1, and advanced to the Big Sky Tournament final for just the second time in program history. The Vikings also set program records for shutouts (12) and goals-against average (0.76) during the season, and only gave up three goals to Big Sky opponents during the season, two of which were penalty kicks.

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