The Oregon State University women’s soccer team lost to the University of Portland 1-0 in their conference home-opener at Paul Lorenz Field in Corvallis on Saturday.
Both teams play in the West Coast Conference, the first year in the league for Oregon State. The Beavers have struggled to make their mark on the conference standings, currently last place and with zero points.
Portland settled into the game early, dominating possession throughout the first half.
The Pilots ramped up the attack in the 13th minute with a chance that was cleared off the line by Oregon State defender Adele Schwab. Another Pilots attack was recorded in the 15th minute and was handled by Beaver goalkeeper Mya Sanchez.
The Pilots eventually found the back of the net in the 19th minute after an error from the Oregon State defense. The goal was bagged off a chip from the 30 yard line by Portland midfielder Mao Ito.
Going into the second half, the Pilots fought a much more organized Beavers team. The half started with a promising attack from Oregon State which was eventually headed away by University of Portland midfielder Tayvi Khann.
The Beavers kept up the pressure in the second half, but could not find the back of the net.
While the Beavers recorded zero shots in the first half, they ended the second half with six, outshooting the Pilots, something Head Coach Caroline Kelly wants to expand on going into future games.
“We moved another forward up front (in the second half),” Kelly said. “We played a 3-5-2 versus a 3-6-1 to put some more numbers on their back line.”
Kelly reported that the halftime break was about being more aggressive and pushing forward, a change that was felt from the Beaver’s performance.
The most promising Oregon State attack came from the boot of Mia Erba which forced a diving save from Pilot goalie Sophia Hills in the 70th minute. Erba almost found the back of the net on the rebound, but the shot was deflected.
Oregon State also forced Hills to make another save in the 88th minute.
Tensions ran high in the last minutes of the game with both teams bagging a red card. Pilots forward Jillian McBride was sent off for a foul to the head in the 89th minute and Erba was booked for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in the 90th minute. Both McBride and Erba will miss their respective next games.
The game ended seconds after the Oregon State red card with a score of 1-0.
The game marked the third match of conference play for both teams. The University of Portland Pilots will head back home with an undefeated record in conference with 2 wins and 1 tie, leaving the Beavers still grasping for their first points.
Despite the loss, Kelly emphasized the team’s increased aggression in the second half.
“I’m always impressed when we can change at halftime and we did a great job of doing that,” Kelly said. “The second 45 (minutes) we got to start playing with more edge to go forward and get goals.”
The full 2025 Oregon State women’s soccer schedule can be found here, as they look to get their first conference win against the University of San Francisco on Oct. 8 at 6pm on enemy turf.
