PORTLAND, Ore. – Kick-started by a stunning 40-yard goal from freshman forward
Amanda Anders, San Diego collected it's first road and conference win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Portland Wednesday.
"That's a quality win for this group," head coach
Greg LaPorte said. "We were disciplined, stayed structured and found the moments that mattered. Portland is a tough place to play but also an amazing place to play."
It was Las Toreras' two leading scorers that guided the team to victory, as Anders and senior forward
Josefine Schlichting both scored their fifth goals of the season as USD topped the Pilots for the first time since 2019 and snapped the host's six-game unbeaten streak.
After the San Diego offense helped the team to becoming just the second this season – alongside No. 9 UCLA – to score multiple goals on the Pilots this season, it was the defense, led by redshirt freshman goalkeeper
Chloe Walls' four saves, that held strong to the end to see through the win.
Senior defenders
Emma Gonzalez and
Jenna Rubidoux notched their first career assists, while sophomore defender
Ella Callanan recorded her WCC-leading sixth of the season. In year two under LaPorte San Diego has already surpassed it's win total from the year prior with four, the most for the program since 2021.
How it Happened
Entering the game with just .67 goals against per game and an 85.2% save percentage, Walls made her second straight start in net.
After the Toreros had the first big chance early in the game it was Anders who put San Diego on the board just over 16 minutes into the game. Played on by senior defender
Emma Gonzalez, Anders rocketed one from around 40 yards off the far post and in, an SportsCenter Top-10 worthy goal.
Senior forward
Olivia Jandreski nearly doubled the lead before the end of the half, beating the last defender with a nice touch but faced too tight of an angle to try to beat the keeper at the near post.
USD kept threatening to start the second period as Schlichting took a ball off a defender and laced one, only to be deflected away by the goalkeeper.
Las Toreras did finally break through for the second goal in the 68
th minute as sophomore defender
Ella Callanan dribbled past a defender to the goal line and cut the ball back to oncoming traffic. Senior midfielder
Jenna Rubidoux connected softly, sending the ball towards the back post, which Schlichting slid onto just in time to put it in the net.
Just four minutes later, the hosts would get one back on a penalty kick after a replay review awarded them a spot-kick. Despite having saved a PK in her last outing, Walls stood no chance at saving it this time around.
The San Diego defense held strong in the closing 20-plus minutes of action, with timely clearances and tackles. Portland's best chance at an equalizer was rejected square off the cross bar late in the game.
Up Next
The Toreros will stay in the state of Oregon to face Oregon State on Sunday afternoon in Corvallis with kick off set for noon, streaming live on ESPN+.
