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MORAGA, Calif. --- Portland freshmen Allison Wetherington and Danica Evans each scored a goal and had an assist, Ellen Parker notched the game-winner and the No. 11 Pilots defeated the Saint Mary's Gaels 3-1 in a West Coast Conference women's soccer match played on Thursday afternoon at Saint Mary's Stadium. Both Wetherington and Parker scored in the first half, while Evans' insurance goal came in the second stanza.
 
Portland improves its record to 14-2-1 overall and to 6-1-0 in the WCC. Saint Mary's drops to 6-11-0 and to 2-4-0 in the conference.
 
After the opening whistle, Portland quickly went on the attack. The Pilots gained possession following the Saint Mary's kickoff, leisurely worked the ball up field, and scored in the second minute, courtesy the fourth goal of the season by Wetherington.
 
It was Evans who fed Wetherington with a through ball inside the left edge of the box, and Wetherington drilled a shot that grazed the right post on its way into the back of the net. It's the second goal this season to come within the game's first two minutes for Wetherington, who scored 1:02 into the match against Nevada on Sept. 13.
 
Then in the 28th minute, the Pilots scored off a corner kick for the first time this season. On a delivery from Wetherington, the ball fell to the feet of Parker, who stayed composed and hit it just right inside the left post. The goal is the fifth this season for Parker, while Wetherington picked up her fourth assist.
 
In the 43rd minute, UP goalkeeper Erin Dees helped preserve the 2-0 lead with a big-time save. On a loose ball just in front of Portland's goal, Melinda Madden drilled a shot from six yards out. Dees somehow knocked the shot away before the Gaels were called a for hand ball, ending the threat and allowing the Pilots to take a 2-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
 
The Gaels would get one back in the 53rd minute when they were awarded a PK. Dees guessed right, but Samantha Dion was able to sneak the PK inside the left post to pull the Gaels within 2-1.
 
The game would remain 2-1 in Portland's favor until Evans returned to the Portland line-up in the 80th minute and immediately made an impact. Noelle La Prevotte fed a great ball ahead to Ellie Boon, who sent a cross into the center of the box. That's where Evans took a touch and finished just under the crossbar to make it 3-1.
 
It's the third goal of the year for Evans, who was one of six freshmen to start for the Pilots.
 
Four of Portland's eight shots were on-goal, while the majority of the 13 shots for Saint Mary's came from outside the 18-yard box.
 
Dees finished with three saves, while Kaeli Schmidt made just one stop for the Gaels, which came on a shot off the foot of Wetherington during the first half.
 
The Pilots next conclude the regular season with a pair of WCC games at Merlo Field next week. On Thursday, Portland hosts conference foe and No. 9 Santa Clara at 8 p.m. in a game that will broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
 
UP then hosts San Francisco on Saturday in the season finale.