Portland Blanks Tennessee; Up Next Rival UCLA

Portland ran its shutout streak to a school record nine games.

Sophomore Michelle Enyeart scored two goals and freshman Sophie Schmidt added two assists as the Portland Pilots defeated the Tennessee Lady Vols 3-0 in a NCAA third round match.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Sophomore Michelle Enyeart scored two goals and freshman Sophie Schmidt added two assists as the Portland Pilots defeated the Tennessee Lady Vols 3-0 in a NCAA third round match at Merlo Field on Saturday.

Portland ran its shutout streak to a school record nine matches before a raucous crowd of 4,841.

The Pilots (18-3-0) advance to set up another rematch with the UCLA Bruins, a 2-1 winner over Virginia on Friday.

Portland was ousted from the 2006 playoffs in a quarterfinal loss at UCLA, a 2-1 come-from-behind win. The Pilots defeated the Bruins 4-0 in the 2005 NCAA championship match.

The 2007 quarterfinal match is scheduled for Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. at Drake Stadium.

Saturday was all Portland as the Lady Vols (15-5-2) offered little resistance to the Pilot attack.

UP outshot the Lady Vols by a 28-8 margin, including a 16-3 edge in shots on goal. If not for the brilliant play of UT goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson, who recorded 12 saves, the margin would have been much wider.

Enyeart put the Pilots on top early with a strike in the 16th minute. Schmidt fed her at the top of the box and after cutting back to her right, Enyeart ripped a shot to the low right past a diving Johnson. Two minutes later, Schmidt’s shot from the near right was initially stopped by Johnson. A UT defender tried to clear the loose ball out of the goal box, but senior midfielder Natalie Budge charged hard and punched the rebound into the back of the net. It was Budge’s sixth goal of the season and Schmidt’s seventh assist.

Enyeart capped the scoring with a bullet from the top of the arc to the upper right corner in the 47th frame. All-American defender Stephanie Lopez freed Enyeart with a brilliant run down the left flank. Enyeart has a team-leading 11 goals this season for the Pilots.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Davis made three saves to record the team’s 14th shutout on the season. Portland is outscoring opponents 33-1 during its current 11-match winning streak, including a 9-0 edge in three playoff wins.

Source: UP Athletics

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