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FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Portland State women's soccer team's offense broke out of its early season scoring funk against Colorado State Friday, as freshman defender Maddie Prehoda, senior defender Kayla Henningsen and junior midfielderEmma Cooney all scored to lead the Vikings to a 3-0 road win over the Rams at The Lagoon on the CSU campus.
 
The Vikings (2-1-2) had totaled just three goals through their first four matches of the season, but doubled that total with their performance against the Rams. The Vikings also recorded their first multiple-goal performance of the season in the match, and recorded their first three-goal performance since a 3-1 win over Weber State on Oct. 17 last season.
 
"It was important to bounce back from the last game against Cal," PSU head coach Laura Schott said. "To score three goals should give us some confidence in our attack moving forward."
 
Prehoda put the Vikings up early with her goal, as she scored in the fourth minute off a quick shot from 40 yards out that bounced over the Colorado State goalkeeper and into the net.
 
The goal marks the first goal of Prehoda's PSU career, and comes in just her fifth career match.
 
Prehoda's goal also marked the second time the Vikings have scored in the first 10 minutes of a match this season, as freshman forward Mackenzie Bean also scored in the ninth minute of the Vikings' 1-1 draw at San Francisco last Friday.
 
The Vikings backed up the early goal this time, however, as Henningsen and Cooney added a pair of goals for the Vikings in the second half.
 
Henningsen put the Vikings up 2-0 with her goal in the 63rd minute, as she followed Prehoda's lead with a goal from distance. Henningsen scored her goal on a direct free kick from 40 yards out that caught the Colorado State goalkeeper off guard. The goal is the seven of Henningsen's career, putting her two goals away from tying Juli Edwards (2004-07), Megan Plinski (2002-05) and Kala Renard (2008-11) for eighth all-time at Portland State.
 
Cooney, meanwhile, sealed the win for the Vikings with her goal in the 79th minute that put the Vikings up 3-0.
 
"Emma's goal came from a great run from her," Schott said. "She decided to go at their backs aggressively and it was the right decision and a great finish."
 
Besides the breakout for the offense, the Portland State defense also bounced back with their performance against the Rams after suffering a tough loss to then-No. 21 California last Sunday. The Viking defense held the Rams without a shot until the 31st minute of their match Friday, and kept the Rams to only six shots throughout the match, only one of which was on goal.
 
The Viking defense has now held four of its five opponents this season to 10 shots or less in a match, and has held both Utah Valley and Colorado State to only one shot on goal.
 
The shutout against the Rams also gives junior goalkeeper Caitlin Plese her 12th career shutout at Portland State, moving her within five shutouts of all-time Division I leader Cris Lewis, who set the record with 17 in her career. Additionally, Plese's 12th career shutout moves into a tie for second all-time at Portland State, equaling Kim Street, who was the Vikings' starting goalkeeper from 1996-98.
 
The performance against the Rams should give the Vikings a good boost heading into their next match, which will likely be the toughest of the season for the Vikings. No. 10 Texas Tech hosts the Vikings in Lubbock, Texas, for their next match, which kicks off at 1 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, Sept. 7.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings' match against the Rams Friday was the first-ever meeting between the two teams, meaning the win gives the Vikings a 1-0-0 lead in the all-time series against them…With Prehoda, Henningsen and Cooney scoring Friday, the Vikings now have had five different goal scorers on their six goals so far this season…All three of the Vikings' goals Friday were unassisted, leaving the Vikings with assists only two of their six goals so far this season.