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HILLSBORO, Ore. — The top-seeded Portland State women's soccer team fell 3-0 in penalty kicks to third-seeded Weber State in the championship match of the Big Sky Tournament Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium, after finishing regulation and overtime tied 0-0.
 
The Wildcats (10-4-5, 5-2-2 Big Sky) shot first in the shootout and made their first three attempts, while the Vikings (12-4-3, 8-0-1 Big Sky) missed on all three of theirs.
 
Weber State claims its fourth Big Sky Tournament all-time with the result, and earns the Big Sky Conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA will announce pairings for the tournament at 1:30 p.m. (PT) on NCAA.com.
 
Saturday's championship match was the third straight Big Sky Tournament final that was decided by penalty kicks, and the second straight that went to PKs after the teams failed to score in regulation or overtime.
 
Portland State has now been eliminated from the Big Sky Tournament as a result of a shootout three times in program history. The Vikings' last shootout loss also came against Weber State, with the Wildcats topping the Vikings 4-3 in a shootout in the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament in 2011. Portland State hadn't lost a shootout in a championship match before Saturday.
 
Both teams had chances to score during regulation and overtime, but each side's defense held firm.
 
Portland State had the first chance, as sophomore midfielder Cori Bianchini received a ball just outside the six-yard box in the fourth minute and sent a hard shot on the Weber State goal. Wildcat goalkeeper Ryann Waldmann was in perfect position, however, and made the first of her six saves in the match.
 
Weber State came back from the early pressure to challenge themselves, drawing out PSU goalkeeper Caitlin Plese on a couple balls into the box in the first half, but the ball bounced the PSU defense's way each time.
 
The teams then combined for a flurry of chances late in regulation. PSU sophomore forward Tamia Hasan had the best chance to score late, as she ran onto a ball in the 85th minute that had drawn Waldmann off her line. Hasan was free of the Wildcat defense and had Waldmann out of position on the play, but pushed the ball just wide of the left post.
 
Weber State then came back with two set pieces in their attacking third within the final minute of regulation. A PSU foul gave the Wildcats the first set piece, which led to a corner kick with six seconds left before overtime. Weber State couldn't make anything of the corner, however, and the match went to overtime.
 
Once in overtime, both goalkeepers made saves to preserve the tie, with Plese saving a shot off another Wildcat set piece in the first overtime, and Waldmann saving a shot from PSU's Melissa Bishop with less than three minutes to go in the second overtime.
 
The Vikings only forced Waldmann to make two saves on their three attempts in the shootout, however, while Weber State put all three of their attempts on frame.
 
The shootout did not count against either goalkeeper statistically, however, as both Plese and Waldmann earned individual shutouts in the match Saturday. For Plese, Saturday's clean sheet gives her 11 for the season, three more than any other PSU goalkeeper had recorded in a single season in school history. Plese's 2013 season also stands second all-time in goals-against average (0.65) and goalkeeper wins (12) at PSU.
 
Additionally, Plese and Waldmann each made the Big Sky All-Tournament Team that was announced after the match, while Waldmann was named Tournament MVP. Four Vikings joined Plese on the Big Sky All-Tournament Team in Hasan, junior defender Kayla Henningsen, junior forward Eryn Brown and sophomore midfielder Emma Cooney.
 
Saturday's result likely means the end of the season for the Vikings, who entered the tournament 103rd in the NCAA Division I RPI and would seem an unlikely recipient of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Match Notes: Saturday's result extends a seven-match unbeaten streak for the Vikings against Weber State…The Vikings are 5-0-2 in that streak, but the two ties have each ended in shootout losses in the Big Sky Tournament…The Vikings now stand 8-8-4 against Weber State all-time, while PSU head coach Laura Schott stands 5-1-2 all-time against the Wildcats… Saturday's championship match was only the Vikings' second all-time appearance in the Big Sky Tournament final, with their only other appearance coming in 2002 (the Vikings lost that match 1-0 to Idaho State in overtime)…Portland State had been eliminated in the semifinals in their last seven tournament appearances before beating Northern Colorado, 2-0, Thursday.