“I couldn’t be more proud of my team,” said WAC Coach of the Year Julie Woodward. “Once we heard the draw, we were really looking forward to playing here. Portland is an incredible team and they’re going to do very well in the tournament. The atmosphere here is great and I couldn’t think of a better place we could’ve played. I’m so proud of our senior class and I don’t think we’d be where we are today if we didn’t have them. They left our program with a wonderful gift,”
Stephanie Verdoia (Salt Lake City, Utah) got the first open shot of the match in the beginning of the sixth minute, but Portland goalkeeper Erin Dees made the easy save.
The Pilots had their first chance to score in the 17th minute on a shot from the top of the box by Danica Evans, but Brianna Smallidge (Port Orchard, Wash.) tapped the ball to the right, just wide of the goal. The following corner kick by Allison Wetherington also proved unsuccessful as the Redhawks were able to get the ball out of the 18 yard box.
Shortly thereafter, Smallidge was bulldozed in the box, but only a foul was called resulting in a Seattle U goal kick.
Natasha Howe (Mission Viejo, Calif.) drove down the left side in attack, but was met by a Portland defender, as the ball sailed out resulting in Seattle U’s first corner kick of the match in the 30th minute.
In the 32nd minute, Ellen Parker looked as if she would take the lead for Portland, earning the ball off a cross, but she couldn’t get her footing on the ball, as the shot sailed just wide of the left goalpost. Rebekah Kurle took a header shot from the close left wing with just 17 seconds left before the half, but the ball sailed high over the net as the score remained 0-0 at the halftime break.
Portland earned four straight corner kicks starting in the 53rd minute, but the scoring attempts proved futile as the efforts only resulted in a foul on the Pilots.
After another pair of corner kicks in the 61st and 63rd minutes, just over a minute apart, Ellie Boon got her foot on the ball, but the shot from the close right wing sailed wide.
In the 68th minute, Julia Besagno (Maple Valley, Wash.) was taken down outside the 18-yard box, resulting in a free kick for the Redhawks, but the kick was blocked by the Pilots.
Portland broke through in the 78th minute as Evans got the ball straight in front of the net off a cross by Boon, sinking it into the goal for what would be the game-winner.
Ava Ames (Seattle, Wash.) added a shot for SU, sailing high, in the 79th minute, and Kiana Kraft’s (Kent, Wash.) shot in the 84th minute sailed wide left, but the Redhawks could not get on the board.
Emily Sippel nearly added to the Pilots’ tally in the 83rd minute, but a key save by Smallidge kept the margin at one.
In the 89th minute, Micaela Capelle taken down in the box and the resulting penalty kick by Amanda Frisbie put UP ahead, 2-0, which proved to be the final score.
This was the 14th straight playoff appearance for the No. 3 seed Pilots as the Redhawks were one of just five teams making their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013, including Arkansas, UMBC, Iowa, and South Alabama.
“From now on, this game will be an expectation,” added Woodward. “I don’t think it’s something we dream about, it’s going to be something we’ll expect to be in next year. To my entire team, especially the seniors, I’m just grateful. They’re wonderful people and we’re going to miss them.”
The loss ended a 15-game winning streak for Seattle U and a historic season in which they became Seattle University’s first ever women’s team to qualify for an NCAA Division I tournament. In 2013, the Redhawks notched a seven-game shutout streak during which they scored 25 unanswered goals, and won both the Western Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Seattle U will look to build upon their success in 2014 as 2013 WAC Offensive Player of the Year, Stephanie Verdoia, is set to return for her senior season. The Redhawks say goodbye to eight seniors who suited up for their final match in Redhawk uniform – Ava Ames (Seattle, Wash.), Kat Prati (Moorpark, Calif.), Besagno, Heather Thomas (Woodinville, Wash.), Jacqui Wallis (Lake Oswego, Ore.), Alyssa Campagna (Las Vegas, Nev.), Monique Escalera (Riverside, Calif.), and Mary Hill (Mercer Island, Wash.).