PORTLAND, Ore. --- After 69 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Portland Thorns scored four goals to overcome the short-handed Portland Pilots 4-0 in an exhibition game played on Saturday night at Merlo Field. The Pilots played with just 12 players and didn't make any subs against the NWSL's Thorns.
 
The game marked the return to The Bluff for Thorns' midfielder Kendall Johnson, a Portland women's soccer alum who earned all-conference honors every year with the Pilots and was named the WCC's Defender of the Year in 2012. Johnson was traded to the Thorns from Sky Blue FC during the off-season and the Portland native scored the final goal of the night.
 
Portland did well defensively for much of the night, and sophomore goalkeeper Hanna de Haan made a plethora of nice saves to keep the match scoreless. The Thorns finally found the back of the net after a PK was awarded in the 70th minute, and Allie Long slotted one past de Haan to make it a 1-0 game.
 
The Thorns then scored a pair of goals that were separated by 33 seconds, the first coming on a deflection and the second off of a rebound. Kelsey Haycook's goal made the score 2-0, while Meredith Speck capitalized on a rebound after de Haan made a stop on Long's initial shot.
 
Johnson then capped the scoring when she gained possession inside the box, turned on the defender and buried a shot into the top left corner of the net from 15 yards out.
 
The Pilots are scheduled to play one more exhibition match this spring when they host the Seattle Reign, also from the NWSL, next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Merlo Field and the Reign roster features seven former UP women's soccer stand-outs.