University of Portland Athletics

MORAGA, Calif. --- Trailing at Saint Mary's Stadium late in regulation, Portland's Matthew Coffey and Rey Ortiz provided two clutch goals for the Pilots, but in the end Saint Mary's Gaels escaped with a 3-2 win in the West Coast Conference regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. The loss ends Portland's quest for their second straight WCC title.
 
Despite being down 3-0 in the 74th minute, the Pilots refused to falter, and Coffey pulled one back with his fourth goal of the year. Benji Michel found Coffey with a pass near the top of the 18, and the senior made his way through traffic before slotting it in to pull the Pilots within two.
 
Moments later Ortiz made it only a one-goal game when he found the back of the net with a well-struck shot from just inside the top of the 18. Coffey collected the assist, and Ortiz's strike easily made it past a frozen SMC keeper.
 
From there the Pilots pushed numbers forward in search of the equalizer. Erik Edwardson hit a free kick wide from 20 yards out in the 82nd minute, and Ortiz sent a brilliant ball into the area in the 84th minute, but the Pilots couldn't provide the final touch as the clock would eventually reach 90 minutes.
 
The loss means the San Francisco Dons are the WCC champions, and USF claims the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Playoffs. Portland (9-7-1, 4-2-1 WCC) could still potentially receive an at-large bid into the playoffs, and they'll learn their fate when the NCAA announces the postseason field on Monday morning at 10 a.m.
 
After scoring twice early in the first half, it was a tremendous goal by Anders Engebretson in the 68th minute that proved to be the game-winner for Saint Mary's (6-6-5, 3-2-2 WCC). Engebretsen had possession and some space to work with outside of the 18, and he buried a world-class goal into the top right corner of the frame that at the time gave the Gaels a 3-0 lead.
 
Earlier the Gaels caught a break when they scored their first goal in the fourth minute. The ball fell to the feet of Ever De La Torre at the top of the six, and he easily finished from point-blank range to hand the home side the 1-nil advantage. 10 minutes later the Gaels pushed their lead to 2-0 when Sem Kroom found the back of the net with a header on a cross sent in by Dakota Armour
 
The Pilots had a couple of quality chances in the first half, including in the 22nd minute when Portland was awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out. On the free kick, Edwardson looked to bend one inside the top right corner of the frame, but his attempt sailed just high of the cross bar.
 
In the 35th minute the Pilots nearly cut into the deficit when Jason Romero found himself with possession inside the 18-yard box and only the keeper to beat. But he dragged his shot wide of the left post, and the two sides would enter the half with the Gaels leading 2-0.