Pantuso Nets Pair as Beavers Ground Pilots

August 21, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. – Freshman Allison Pantuso made her mark in her Beaver debut, scoring her second goal of the night with 22 seconds left to play in the second overtime period to lift the Oregon State women’s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Portland Friday evening in Portland, Ore. Pantuso found the net for the first time in her collegiate career in the 52nd minute, and scored again in the 110th to propel the Beavers to their second ever win at Merlo Field, and first since 2012. “This was a great start to the season,” said Oregon State head coach Linus Rhode. “It was a tremendous team performance in a very difficult environment. Our players fought hard to the very end." Pantuso’s first tally came just seven minutes after she entered the game as a second-half substitute. Sophomore Emma Jones set up the goal with a nice flick that found Pantuso on the left side of the box. The freshman proceeded to fire a low shot into the right corner to give OSU the 1-0 lead. She would follow that up by ending the match with a shot from 14 yards out, which she calmly slotted past the goalie to give the Beavers the win. Sophomore goalkeeper Bella Geist had yet another strong performance for Oregon State, making six saves to bring her career total to 132. Geist was one of six Beavers to go the full 109 minutes, along with Helene Haavik, Gwen Bieck, Greta Espinoza, Kathryn Baker and Sabrina Santarossa. Scoring chances proved hard to come by in the first half, as both teams played well defensively in the opening 45 minutes. Oregon State did well to control possession for extended periods in the first frame, but neither side could find the net before the intermission. The Beavers’ best opportunity of the opening stanza came on a corner kick in the 26th minute, but Oregon State could not re-direct the ball on frame. Freshman Jenna-Lee Baxter came close to adding a second for Oregon State just minutes after Pantuso’s opener, but her effort was blocked. The Pilots countered by posing a threat on a header in the 72nd minute, but Geist came up with a nice reaction save to keep Portland off the scoresheet. The Pilots would eventually find the net on a scramble in the box in the 90th minute to force overtime. Jones created a chance in the second overtime period, when she blasted an effort just over the bar in the 103rd minute. Pantuso would proceed to finish the game six minutes later. The Beavers will return to action next Friday, when they host Fresno State in their home opener at Paul Lorenz Field.
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