PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Sacramento State offense turned up the heat in the second half, attempting 13 of its 16 shots in the final 45 minutes, but the Hornets were unable to dent the back of the net on Friday night, falling to host and No. 13-ranked Portland by a 3-0 score at Merlo Field.

The match was the season opener for both teams and the third consecutive meeting in the Rose City between the two programs.

Junior defender Bryan Gutierrez led the Hornets with a career-high three shots on the night while a trio of teammates finished with a pair of attempts. In net, junior goalkeeper Mac Learned finished with five saves in the match — all coming in the first half — tied for the second-highest total in his career.

Portland wasted little time in getting on the board for the first time in 2023, netting the first goal of the season just four minutes in. The Hornets settled in and battled the Pilots to that same score into the break before the host side found the back of the net twice in the second half, scoring in the 66th and 86th minutes for the final score.

Of those 13 second-half attempts, Sacramento State took the first six shots of the period, eventually forcing Portland goalkeeper Miguel-Angel Hernandez into three second-half saves.

Hasan Alsakati, Fernando Venegas, Simon Vaca-Lorenzi, and Zac Giles, all made their debuts for the Hornets, while Titus Washington made his first appearance since the end of the 2021 campaign after missing all of 2022 due to injury.

Sacramento State closes out its trip to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday (Aug. 27), taking on Gonzaga. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Spokane, Wash.