University of Washington
Portland
Huskies Get Significant Victory Over Pilots
September 29, 2014 | Women's Soccer
PORTLAND – UW women's soccer beat the Portland Pilots 3-2 for just the fourth time in program history Sunday afternoon at Merlo Field, led by Amanda Perez's game-winner in the 80th minute and Kate Bennett's two goals.
“Portland, on their home field, I don't care what year it is, I don't care what their record is; it doesn't matter,” head coach Lesle Gallimore said. “For 21 years we've played this team and it's never been easy, and I knew it wouldn't be easy today. I'm just super proud of our team, to come back from down, then after having a lead and being tied again, to come back and finish it off. It was a fun game and I'm happy to come out on the front end of it.”
The Huskies had already come back from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead before allowing the Pilots to equalize at 2-2, setting up Perez's game-winner. UW had pressured Portland's back line and earned a corner kick. Bennett took the kick from the right corner and placed a ball into the middle of the box, where Perez tracked it down. Her header bounced into the left side of the net to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead, and eventually the win.
UW improves to 7-3-0 on the season, matching its win total from 2013 when the Huskies finished 7-9-4. UW outshot Portland 14-6, and earned nine corners compared to just three for the Pilots.
The Huskies fell behind in the first half when Portland's Allison Wetherington scored her first goal of the season in the 24th minute. She finished a wide-open look in the box set up by Ellie Boon, who was credited with the assist. UW has largely controlled the game to that point, but the Pilots held a 1-0 lead.
It didn't take long for the Huskies to respond, as they tied the game in the 27th minute. Kimby Keever was awarded a penalty kick after tracking down a long ball and being taken down on the left side of the box near the end line. Bennett took the penalty kick and netted it calmly into the bottom right corner.
Bennett scored her second of the game and third of the season in the 39th minute to give the Dawgs their first lead. Bennett took a pass from Chelsea Archer and fired a left-footed shot from the right corner of the 18-yard box that crossed the face of the goal, hitting the left upright and bouncing in. Archer was credited with the assist, her first of the season.
The Huskies came into Sunday's match with an all-time mark of 3-23-2 against the Pilots, the last win coming in the 2010 NCAA tourney when UW beat Portland in penalty kicks to advance to the Sweet 16. They had previously won in 2000 and 2004, with all three wins coming in Portland.
UW resumes its schedule next weekend with a trip to California to face No. 4 Stanford and No. 12 California on Friday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 5, respectively, marking the sixth and seventh straight road games for UW.
