Oct. 31, 2004

Box Score

USF riding the momentum of two straight victories played a tough road game in Portland this evening, but were unable to score a goal as they were defeated by #4 Portland 2-0. The Dons (9-7-3; 2-4-0 WCC) were out shot in the game 16-5 by the Pilots (16-3-0, 5-1-0) and now have one more game left in their season before finding out if they qualify for the post season.

From the outset Portland was in control of the game, and they were able to score early in the first half. Just over five minutes into the match, Pilots sophomore midfielder Lisa Sari was able to control teammate Natalie Budge's cross pass and bend the ball from 15 yards past Stephanie Beall, the Dons goalkeeper.

The second goal for the Pilots occurred with a little more then 2 minutes left in the first half as junior forward and WCC leading scorer Christine Sinclair scored from a sharp angle to give Portland a commanding 2-0 lead.

For San Francisco, Stephanie Beall deserves much credit for keeping the score close despite the disparity in shots. Her five saves and excellent play put USF in a position to compete with one of the top ranked programs in the nation.

Head Coach Pamela Kalinoski was pleased with her teams effort despite the loss. "We played hard tonight and we competed with one of the best programs in the nation. Everyone put in a great effort from Chelsea and Shuree, to Annika and our entire backline. I'm really proud of how we played and I look forward to facing Gonzaga next week."

USF will play their final match of the regular season next Saturday at Negoesco Stadium as the Dons host the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a crucial WCC match up.