SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- After 83 minutes of scoreless soccer, Portland's Geoffrey Dunn headed in the game-winner on a perfectly placed corner from Eddie Sanchez to send the Pilots to a huge 1-0 West Coast Conference win over the Santa Clara Broncos on a rainy Sunday night at Buck Shaw Stadium. The win keeps the Pilots perfect in the WCC, and it's Portland's fifth straight victory.

"Very proud of the team for earning the win tonight," Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said. "We played smart and together while staying patient and committed to our brand. Santa Clara is very organized defensively as they sit deeper. They don't give up much and I thought we missed some important chances early in the game that would have opened them up more. We had the majority of the possession and were just a little off with the final pass. They also had some good chances as well as they have good attacking players, but full credit to our defensive mentality to close the game out.
 
"Getting a shutout, especially on the road, is very important in the WCC. Santa Clara is much better than their record indicates and there is a reason they won the WCC Championship last year. Good teams find a way to win no matter the circumstances and we did that tonight. The result was simply a reflection of our overall team buy in and belief that continues to grow."

After neither side was able to find the back of the net, the Pilots (9-3-1, 3-0-0 WCC) earned a corner kick in the 84th minute. Sanchez then sent in a dangerous ball towards the far post, and Dunn was there to nod it in to hand the visitor's a 1-0 lead.

And the lead would stand as the Pilots record two league road wins in the Bay Area after defeating San Francisco 3-2 on Friday night. It's the second goal this season for Dunn, and both goals have been game-winners. Sanchez claims his second assist during the weekend, giving him a team-best four on the season.

"It was fitting and well-deserved for Geoff Dunn to sub into the game and score the winning goal playing his last game at Santa Clara in front of his friends and family," said Carlin-Voigt. "We will now recharge and prepare for a very good LMU team back at Merlo Field."

The Pilots created several chances during the second half, including in the 55th minute when it appeared they scored the game's first goal. Jackson Jellah drove in a tempting cross, which bounced around the box before Benji Michel put it in the back of the net. But the flag was up as Portland was called for offside, nullifying the would-be go-ahead goal.

In the 65th minute the Pilots earned a free kick about 25 yards out, but Sanchez hit a shot just high of the cross bar.

A minute later Dunn, a senior center pack, provided perhaps the defensive play of the game when he denied a Santa Clara (5-7, 0-3-0 WCC) shot on the goal line. After Miles Robinson found himself unmarked with possession inside the 18, Portland keeper Paul Christensen came off his line to challenge. Robinson then hit a shot past the keeper, but Dunn was there to send the attempt away, keeping the game scoreless.

And then about a minute before the Dunn goal, Matthew Coffey nearly broke the scoreless tie. But Santa Clara's goalkeeper Dakota Havlick came through with a clutch save on a well-hit shot from 16 yards out off the left foot of Coffey.

Christensen finished with a season-high eight saves to register his third shutout of the year.

The five-game winning streak is the longest for the Pilots since they rattled off six straight in 2011, and the 3-0 start to league play is the program's best beginning to a conference slate since 2002.

"We had a tremendous weekend full of competitive greatness, commitment and strong team belief," added Carlin-Voigt. "We will continue to challenge the group to get better each day. If we display the right mindset and approach we will improve one game at a time."

The Pilots next take a break and don't return to the pitch until Friday, Oct. 28 when they host LMU at Merlo Field.