PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland freshman Ellie Walker buried her first career goal late in the second half and the Pilots were solid defensively all night long en route to a 1-0 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs on a rainy and windy Saturday night at Merlo Field. Portland goalkeeper Rachel Lusby collected six saves to preserve the clean sheet against the Bulldogs, who entered the night as the top offensive team in the West Coast Conference.
 
But the Pilots (5-10-1, 2-4-0) held the Bulldogs (10-5-1, 2-4-0 WCC) in check for 90 minutes, and in the 77th minute Portland scored the game's only goal after earning their ninth corner of the night. Kaycie Young sent in the initial ball for the Pilots, which took a few deflections inside the 18 before falling to the feet of Walker. Walker would do the rest, finishing with a low shot through traffic that found the right corner of the net, handing Portland a 1-0 lead.
 
From there the Bulldogs frantically searched for the equalizer, but as they had all game long the Pilots denied every opportunity. That included in the final minute of regulation when Lusby came through with a big-time save on a shot off the foot of Sophia Viviano from point blank range, which allowed the Pilots to post their third shutout of the year.
 
Possession belonged to the Pilots for the first 30 minutes of the game as the Bulldogs struggled to get the ball out of their half of the field. In the sixth minute Larkin Russell played a through ball to Hannah Griffiths Boston near the penalty spot, but Gonzaga keeper Isabelle Jones produced a stellar save on the shot from Griffiths Boston.
 
The Pilots continued to create chances from there, and Natalie Muth hit a shot just wide in the 35th minute as the two teams would enter halftime scoreless.
 
The Bulldogs did have a handful of opportunities early in the second half, but the Pilots did well to force the visitors into taking long-range shots, which were either blocked or comfortably wide. After withstanding that early pressure, the Pilots resumed their attack, and in the 56th minute Russell struck one towards the frame from 18 yards out that was corralled by Jones.
 
In the 73rd minute Young drove one off the cross bar from 35 yards out, and moments later a deflected shot from Griffiths Boston nearly found the corner of the net. It was that shot from Griffiths Boston that resulted in the corner that Walker would score on.
 
The win is the second in a row for the Pilots, who next remain at home for a pair of WCC games next week at Merlo Field. First is a visit from the San Diego Toreros on Thursday night, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.