Lopez’ Thunderbolt Secure Statement Win in Snohomish
Snohomish, WA — Portland clawed its way to a 1-0 win on a cold and blustery Saturday evening at Stocker Field. The Bangers traveled north to face second-place Snohomish United in a key USL2 Northwest Division matchup. Portland entered the match riding high after securing six points at home the previous weekend, while Snohomish looked to steady themselves after consecutive draws against Bigfoot FC and Ballard FC. In the two sides’ earlier meeting this season, Snohomish had come away with a decisive 3–0 win.
The first half was largely uneventful, with both teams struggling to find rhythm in difficult weather conditions and a tightly contested midfield battle.
Portland’s lone opportunity of the half came in the 20th minute. Striker Drew Pedersen found himself isolated 1v2 near midfield, but with a clever flick between the center backs, he broke through into open space. Bearing down on goal, Pedersen’s low strike was met by an excellent save from the Snohomish goalkeeper, who preserved the scoreless draw heading into halftime.
The only other notable moment came in the 35th minute when Snohomish outside back William Case received a yellow card after halting a promising run from Portland winger Vala Saghafi, who was breaking in behind the back line.
With one substitution at halftime, the Bangers came back on the pitch with new life. After a first half that saw little action, Portland’s forward, Drew Pedersen, set up a corner kick attempt in the 46th minute. With a header out of the box by the defender of Snohomish, it fell to the feet of Nico Lopez. Lopez took one touch onto his right foot and unleashed a banger that screamed into the top right corner of the goal to give Portland a 1-0 advantage and their 10th goal of the season.
A clipped ball from Nico Lopez found a wide-open Drew Pedersen on the back post in the 63rd’. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Pedersen’s muscle memory kicked in, and the former basketball player was able to guide the ball into the bottom corner to force a miraculous save from Snohomish goalkeeper Jadon Bowton. Bowton was able to dive onto the left side to push the ball against the post to keep the game at 1-nil in favor of the Portland Bangers. A great opportunity for Portland was foiled by the heroics of Bowton.
Only a few minutes later, the Bangers kept amping up the pressure. Gunder Miller, the hero in last Monday’s win against the Tacoma Stars, was able to pick out the run of Andrew Lovell. Lovell was unable to slot the chance away because of an incredible piece of defense from the Snohomish outside defender, Chase Potter.
2 quick chances for Portland came in the 75. The first from a cleverly weighted pass by Drew Pedersen onto the path of Vala Saghafi, which forced another big-time save from the Snohomish goalkeeper. Shortly after, Andrew Lovell found the substitute Efetobo Aror, and his scissor kick was not able to find the target, just going wide and out for a goal kick.
The Portland Bangers secured a hard-earned 1–0 victory over second-place Snohomish United on Saturday night, delivering in difficult conditions at Stocker Field. Nico Lopez’s decisive strike early in the second half proved enough, as Portland’s defense remained organized and resilient while the attack continued to create chances despite several missed opportunities and exceptional saves from Snohomish goalkeeper Jadon Bowton. The win avenges an earlier loss to Snohomish and strengthens the Bangers’ position in the USL2 Northwest Division playoff race.
Match Timeline: Portland Bangers 1 – 0 Snohomish United
First Half
31’ – 🟨 Yellow Card: William Case (Snohomish United)
Second Half
46’ – 🔁 Substitution: Donovan McClellan enters for Portland
47’ – ⚽ Goal: Nico Lopez (Portland Bangers)
58’ – 🔁 Substitution: Aaron Leon enters for Snohomish
58’ – 🔁 Substitution: Clarens Dollin enters for Snohomish
61’ – 🔁 Substitution: Marcus Norris enters for Portland
68’ – 🔁 Substitution: Loic Baures enters for Portland
68’ – 🔁 Substitution: Efetobo Aror enters for Portland
73’ – 🟨 Yellow Card: Donovan McClellan (Portland Bangers)
77’ – 🔁 Substitution: Kevin Hernandez enters for Snohomish
77’ – 🔁 Substitution: Scott Menzies enters for Snohomish
82’ – 🔁 Substitution: Volodymr Kubrakov enters for Portland
Starting XI – Portland Bangers:
GK: Glock
Defenders: Klein, Dunne, Salaudeen, Bradley
Midfielders: Jeppe, Lopez, Miller
Forwards: Lovell, Pedersen, Saghafi
Substitutes Used: McClellan (46’), Norris (61’), Baures (68’), Aror (68’), Kubrakov (82’)
Unused Subs: Villanueva, Sheffield, Dubon
