Oregon Edges Portland State in Women’s Soccer

The Ducks will remain in the Rose City for a Sunday 2:00 PM date with defending NCAA Champion Portland.

Photo: goducks.com

PORTLAND - Junior Tiffany Smith scored a golden goal with 3:07 left in the second overtime to lift Oregon past Portland State 1-0 on a warm Friday afternoon at Delta Park’s Strasser Field.

The Ducks (6-4-0) outshot the Vikings 20-5, but could not break the PSU defense until freshman Rianna Mansfield crossed a ball through traffic to Smith on the right side, who beat Viking goalkeeper Rachel Jarvis from 10 yards out.

"When I saw the ball coming to me, I knew I had a player on my back, so I just turned and kicked the heck out of it," said Smith, the Eugene, native and Sheldon High graduate who played at Portland State her freshman season prior to transferring Oregon in 2005. "It was sweet once that ball went in. It’s a rivalry game and all the players basically know each other and they gave us a pretty good battle."

It was Smith’s second game-winning goal of the season and the first golden goal of her career. All of Smith’s three career goals have been game-winners.

"Portland State followed their game plan and fought hard," said Oregon coach Tara Erickson, whose team beat PSU 2-1 in overtime last season. "That’s a gut-wrenching way to win a game and a gut-wrenching way to lose a game.

Oregon’s efforts were bolstered by the return of Mansfield and sophomore goalkeeper Jessie Chatfield. Mansfield, the 2005 Oregon prep player of the year from Eugene, had missed the last six games with a sore right hip flexor, but controlled the midfield after substituting in during the first half, and set up Smith’s goal for the first assist of her career.

Chatfield, out since breaking her right hand Sept. 8th versus New Hampshire, made two saves in recording her second shutout of the season and ninth of her career.

The Ducks beat Portland State (0-9-1) for the first time in three tries in Portland.

The shutout of the Vikings came on the heels of a 2-0 blanking of Idaho on Sunday, giving the Ducks back-to-back shutouts for the second time this season.

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