Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- Portland senior Collen Warner scored on a penalty kick in the 77th minute as the 18th-ranked Pilots opened play in the West Coast Conference with a 1-0 win over the Santa Clara Broncos at Buck Shaw Stadium on Friday night. It’s the fifth straight win for the Pilots, who run their unbeaten streak to seven games.
Portland (6-1-1) was awarded the PK after junior forward Ryan Luke was taken down inside the box. Luke had made a run down the right flank before curving down the end-line, where junior Jarad vanSchaik found him with a pass. Luke then cut back to shake the defender before being taken down.
Warner then converted on his second penalty kick of the season to give the Pilots a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish.
The game was physical as the ball was played mostly in the midfield throughout the 90 minutes. Santa Clara (2-5-2) had a couple of good looks in the first half, but UP keeper Austin Guerrero was up to the task, coming through with a pair of saves during the game’s first 45 minutes.
Portland was the aggressor in the second stanza, claiming a 4-2 edge in shots after the break. The Broncos finished with a slim 7-6 advantage overall. SCU also had eight corner kicks to UP’s six.
The Pilots had a golden opportunity to make it a 2-nil game in the closing minutes when Luke found himself in a one-v-one opportunity with Santa Clara goalkeeper Larry Jackson. But Jackson was able to come up with his lone save of the night to prevent the two-goal deficit.
Guerrero finished with two stops for his third shutout of the season.
The win allows the Pilots to match the 1999 UP squad for the fourth best start to a season in program history.
Portland next makes the trek to Moraga, Calif., for a WCC tilt on Sunday against Saint Mary’s. The Pilots and Gaels are set to kick off at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
