SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- The No. 2 Portland Pilots recorded their first come-from-behind victory of the season by scoring four unanswered second half goals in a 4-1 victory over the No. 14 San Diego Toreros in a winner-take-all West Coast Conference women’s soccer match at Torero Stadium Saturday night. Sophomore Sophie Schmidt scored a goal and added two assists to lead Portland.

 

The Pilots (17-1-0, 7-0-0 WCC) extended their winning streak to 16 matches, while the Toreros (14-4-2, 6-1-1) snapped a seven-match winning streak.

 

The regular season finale for both schools held great importance as in addition to a WCC title, Portland earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs and bolsters its chances for a top seed and hosting opportunities throughout the postseason.

 

With the win, Portland has now won 10 WCC titles and will advance to the NCAA playoffs for the 16th time in the last 17 years. It is also the second straight season and fourth time in school history that the Pilots have secured a perfect 7-0-0 league record.

 

Even though the final score was lopsided, it was nail-biting time for Portland as they trailed for only the second time this season when Elissa Magracia put USD on top 1-0 just 40 seconds into the second half.

 

Schmidt continued her torrid scoring pace with the equalizer in the 54th minute, taking a cross from freshman forward Danielle Foxhoven and bouncing her shot off the left post and past USD goalkeeper Brittany Cameron. It was Schmidt’s 11th goal of the season and 10th in the last nine matches.

 

Senior Korie Nicholson, a defender, then provided the eventual game-winner when she headed in a corner kick taken by senior All-American Megan Rapinoe in the 74th minute. It was the first career goal for Nicholson as she became the 14th different Pilot this season to score a goal and 10th separate player to record a game-winner.

 

Less than one minute later, under-20 national teamer Michelle Enyeart netted her seventh goal of the year on an assist from Schmidt. Enyeart, along with teammates Elli Reed and Keelin Winters, played their final game of the season for the Pilots as they will now travel to Chile with the USA Under-20 National Team for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

 

Schmidt again assisted on the fourth and final goal of the match for Portland in the 86th minute. Freshman Halley Kreminski was on the finishing end of Schmidt’s pass and notched her second strike of the 2008 campaign.

 

After an uneventful first period in which Portland attempted three shots and San Diego one, the action picked up in the second stanza. The Pilots gained a 15-4 edge in shots for the match, including a 9-3 margin in shots on goal.

 

Portland will now await its fate for the NCAA playoffs and hope for a top seed and hosting opportunity. The seedings, host sites, and complete 2008 NCAA Tournament bracket will be announced live on ESPNews Monday at 5 p.m. (PST).