PORTLAND, Ore. --- Sophomore Alex Elliott and junior Christopher Sanders each netted first-half goals as the Portland Pilots held off the Air Force Falcons 2-1 in the final game of the 2006 Nike Invitational on Sunday at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. The win improves Portland’s record to 1-0-2, after two scoreless ties to open the season. The Falcons drop to 0-2-1.

The Washington Huskies, who got a second-half goal from Ty Harden en route to a 1-nil victory against the Vermont Catamounts earlier Sunday, were named tournament champions. Washington posted a 2-0-0 record for the weekend. UW junior forward Kevin Forest, who recorded a hat-trick in Washington’s 4-1 win against Air Force on Friday, was voted Offensive Player of the Tournament. Vermont’s senior defender Corey Bronner was named the tournament’s Outstanding Defender after the Catamounts yielded just one goal.

Against Air Force, the Pilots first got on the board first with their first goal of the season in the 20th minute. Off a long pass from sophomore defender Bryan Irwin, Elliott out-ran the Air Force defense, took a touch and ripped a shot from 15 yards out that grazed the cross bar and in. The score ended Portland’s 240 minute scoreless streak.

Portland found the back of the net again 15 minutes later. In the 35th minute, sophomore forward Leland Wright beat a defender on the right wing and fired a cross into the box. The pass bounced off the hands of Air Force junior goalie Brian Guyette and Sanders, a forward, was there to punch it in. Wright was credited with the assist.

"Alex had a first-class strike and it was nice to see Chris get a goal," Portland Director of Soccer Bill Irwin said. "Hopefully that is the start of good things to come for our offense."

Air Force had a good look in the 39th minute when Brandon Greenaway sent a line drive from just out of the box towards the right post. UP senior keeper Luis Robles was able to knock it down with the diving save, before grabbing the loose ball.

The Pilots nearly made it 3-nil four minutes into the second half. Sanders went far post from just outside the right post from 12 yards out. Guyette made the save, but failed to gain possession. Freshman midfielder Collen Warner’s shot off the rebound was high.

Air Force cut Portland’s lead in half with a score in the 68th minute. Josh Rhynard gained possession in the box, beat a couple of defenders and had an open look at the net . He punched it in to make it 2-1. The goal was the first against the Pilots this season in 286 minutes of play.

With about two minutes remaining in regulation, Air Force’s Reid Gaiser nearly scored the equalizer. Gaiser sent a sinking line drive towards the goal from 20 yards out. The shot too high by a couple of inches.

The game-winner by Sanders is the eighth of his career, tying him with Chris Brown for seventh best on UP’s career charts.

Air Force outshot the Pilots 16-15, but Portland held a 10-7 advantage in the second half. Robles went the distance in the net for Portland, making three saves. Guyette countered with four saves.

"The result was great, but I thought our overall performance was somewhat lacking," Irwin said. "We gave up that late goal way too easy, especially after playing so well defensively in our previous two overtime shutouts."

During Washington’s win against Vermont, George John and Matt Fischer assisted on Harden’s goal. Vermont played a man down the entire second half after Danny Broughan received two yellow cards in the first half. The second was shown with only two seconds remaining in the half.

The Pilots next travel to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Fever Classic on Sept. 15-17. Portland is scheduled to play Marshall at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, and Northern Illinois at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17.