PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland senior Haylee DeGrood came through in the 90th minute with the equalizer, but the Oregon State Beavers netted the game winner with only 21 seconds remaining in the second overtime to claim a 2-1 win over the Pilots on Friday night at Merlo Field. The Pilots controlled possession for most of the night including during both overtimes, but in the end the two goals from OSU's Allison Pantuso proved to be the difference.
Portland (0-1-0) out-shot the Beavers (1-0-0) 15-4 on the night, but it was Pantuso who found the back of the net with OSU's first shot of the game in the 52nd minute. Pantuso gained possession near the top of the 18, did well to avoid a Portland defender, and sent a perfectly placed shot inside the right post to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.
The lead would stay 1-0 for the next 38 minutes despite some quality chances by the Pilots. In the 65th minute, Portland junior Parkes Kendrick won the ball deep in Oregon State territory before finding sophomore Hannah Griffiths Boston with a pass just inside the 18. And with just the keeper to beat,
Griffiths Boston sent one towards the frame, but Oregon State goalie Bella Geist came through with the save, one of six game-saving stops she made on the night.
Then just when it appeared the Beavers were going to walk away with the win, DeGrood capitalized on a Portland corner, the Pilots' seventh of the night with only 38 seconds left in regulation. First DeGrood got a head on the ball in the center of the box sending it to the feet of freshman Hannah Armendariz near the right post. The forward then drilled a ball towards the left post, where DeGrood was waiting to deposit the tying score into the left corner with a header.
Portland then dominated possession during the first overtime, but were ultimately unable to find the winner. Freshman Cecilia Pedersen sent a shot that appeared destined for the left corner of the net, but her attempt was just wide of the post.
Portland continued to control the run of play into the second overtime and had a handful of solid opportunities. Junior Ariel Viera tried to go near post with a shot in the 108th minute that was saved by Geist, and Kendrick had a shot from point blank range that was also denied by Geist in the 109th minute.
OSU's game-winner came on a counter on yet another Portland corner, and Pantuso buried one into the right corner in the 110th minute.
Portland finished with nine corners on the night, while Oregon State had three.
The Pilots next hit the road for a pair of games next weekend in the Midwest. First is a match with Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisc., on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific). Portland then heads to South Bend, Ind., to face the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday.
