PORTLAND, Ore. – In their final nonconference match before officially starting WCC play, the Portland Pilots fell to the No. 3 Washington Huskies 2-0, dropping their record to 5-4 on the season. The first goal was an own goal against the Pilots while Kalani Kossa-Rienzi scored the second for Washington.
"Tough result for us after a very bright and strong first half," Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said. "Credit to Washington. They are a very balanced and experienced group. We will turn the page, get some much-needed rest and get healthy as we prepare for WCC play."
Both teams took it easy to start the match, trying to get a feel for one another before committing to one tactic. Portland did well to keep everything in front of them, not letting Washington get anything easy offensively to start. Possession was shared evenly between both teams to begin this one.
The Pilots opted to counterattack more and more as the first half progressed. Portland's forwards did well to put pressure on the backline of Washington. The Pilots' backline was stout, shutting down any chances for the Huskies quickly before rushing out for a counterattack of their own. Portland had several opportunities in the first half, but just couldn't quite finish.
"First half was very even and cagey," Carlin-Voigt said. "We dealt with defending the box well."
Washington started to ramp up the attack as the end of the first neared. They got off more shots, but none of the looks were particularly clean, with Portland sheltering well inside the box. The strategy paid off well as the Pilots and Huskies were tied 0-0.
The second half started and Washington pushed their offense into hyperdrive. They were rapid with their attacks and put immense pressure on Portland's backline. The shots were cleaner and the attacks more methodical, and that made life a bit more difficult for the Pilots.
The aggression from Washington eventually paid off in the 61
st minute. The Huskies had the ball in their final third and sent a free kick deep into the box. The ball found the head of Kendall Burks and took an awkward bounce before making its way into the goal for a score. The ball bounced off a Pilot before heading into the back of the net for an own goal, making it 1-0 Washington.
The Pilots played down a man from the 69
th minute onward after Luke Hendel earned his second yellow of the match. That gave the Huskies a chance to strike – and strike they did. Washington's Christian Soto played a long ball from the right into the middle of the field. Portland keeper George Tasouris attempted to collect the cross, but Kossa-Rienzi was too quick and slid to get a goal past the Pilots. That made it 2-0 Huskies.
"You don't get many chances against them and the difference tonight was they took their chances and we didn't," Carlin-Voigt said. "We learned a tough lesson on discipline and we'll grow from it as we need to keep 11 guys on the field for the entire match."
Portland put together some last-ditch efforts in hopes of shooting their way back into the game. They came close a few times, but it wasn't meant to be. The Pilots would fall 2-0.
The Pilots are off until Oct. 2 when they start WCC play on the road against the Saint Mary's Gaels. The two teams will kick off at 1 p.m. in Moraga, Calif. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video updates.
