#4 Portland scored twice in a five-minute span midway through the first half Sunday, then held off Washington in a 2-0 NCAA Women’s College Cup second round game. Portland advances to host Nebraska in the third round, Saturday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m.

Lisa Casagrande and Christine Sinclair scored for Portland (18-3-0), while the Pilot defense held Washington (13-5-2) to just four shots.

A hesitation in communication among the Washington defense led to Portland’s first goal at 23:55, as Husky keeper Hope Solo and a defender were slow to clear a bouncing ball. Casagrande beat Solo to the ball, then tapped in the game-winner from the left side.

“I thought we played pretty well in the first 25 to 30 minutes,” said Portland head coach Clive Charles. “We didn’t play well in the second half, but we worked hard.”

Nearly four minutes later, Erin Misaki’s short cross found Casagrande in the box, who drew Solo off her line, then nudged the ball ahead to Sinclair for an open-net goal. The goal - Sinclair’s 20th of the season - set a new Portland freshman record for goals in a season, breaking the previous mark of 19 set by Shannon MacMillan in 1992.

Cristin Shea picked up her second playoff shutout, as the Pilot defense allowed only four shots.

“Portland is great at putting pressure on you from the get-go,” noted Washington head coach Lesle Gallimore. “Giving up a soft goal early in the game takes the wind out of your sail, but it was the second goal which really did us in.”