Seattle University Women’s Soccer battled to a 2-2 draw against the University of Portland Pilots Oct. 22 at Championship Field in a match that was both intense and unpredictable. Coming off a previous win over the University of San Francisco, the Redhawks showed resilience and played hard.
Seattle U player lines up for a penalty kick. (Justin Hartshorn)
As the first half began, Seattle U, eager to keep its undefeated streak alive, pushed forward with energy. Portland, however, gained an early advantage when a Redhawk defender slipped in the box and pulled a Portland player down. After the play was reviewed with video assistance, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Portland in the 31st minute, giving Portland a 0-1 lead at the half.
After halftime, the Redhawks applied pressure with the wings and worked to earn several corner kicks that created goal-scoring chances.
Thirteen seconds into the second half, senior midfielder Caroline Penner volleyed a shot from outside the penalty area that snuck under the crossbar, evening the score at 1-1 and electrifying the home crowd. The Redhawks kept pressing, showing quick movement and patient passing as they tried to break through a stubborn Portland defense.
“I think the whole team had great intensity. It was really competitive, but also a really frustrating game. We had really good attacks. We should have capitalized more on some of them, but I do think we were trying to create a lot of opportunities, but there were just a lot of unfortunate calls and balls in the right place,” Forward Kailee Wilson said.
Seattle U managed to stay in the game thanks to several vital saves from goalkeeper Kassidy Kirgan. The Redhawks needed to find greater success in the attacking third to pull level in the second half.
Seattle U and Portland players in the middle of the game. (Justin Hartshorn)
Portland regained the lead in the 63rd minute with another penalty kick, bringing the score to 1-2. Seattle responded with even more urgency, winning duels and earning set pieces. Eventually, a collision in the box took down Wilson, giving Seattle a penalty of their own in the 84th minute. Wilson stepped up and slotted her shot into the bottom right corner, sealing a hard-earned draw and sparking celebration among Redhawk faithfuls.
“Everyone kept each other accountable and kept working hard. I think that was fantastic. I think obviously it’s a rough game, getting two penalty kicks that don’t normally happen, and I think we did a great job bouncing back from that,” Penner said.
The Redhawks finished with seven corner kicks and eleven shots but were unable to break the deadlock against a resilient Portland team, despite their intense efforts. The match ended in a draw, but the Redhawks were proud of their tenacity throughout a challenging, physical contest.
The Redhawks and Pilots fist-bumping to start the game. (Justin Hartshorn)
After the game, the team joined head coach Julie Woodward to reflect. Although upset about the penalty kicks, Woodward understood it was not a loss and that they now needed to look forward to their upcoming games.
“We battled back twice after going down a goal, then going down another goal, which I was really proud of them for.. It was sort of a game where there were a lot of frustrating calls for the opposing team, as well as for us. And I think them just continuing to fight and keeping their cool and playing till the very end, was pretty special,” Woodward said.
With the result, Seattle U continues its strong season, showing elite performance against tough competition. The Redhawks aim to build on this match, focusing on maintaining intensity and teamwork on the field.
At the time of publishing, Seattle U Women’s soccer fell to Gonzaga University 2-3 Oct. 25, only their third loss of the season. The Redhawks take on Oregon State University Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at home.