It was the "Christine Sinclair Show" December 9 at the Women's College Cup at Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium, as the Portland sophomore scored two unassisted goals to lead Portland to its first national championship in any sport.

Sinclair's anitcs helped the Pilots take down defending national champion Santa Clara, 2-1, in double overtime, ending the season 20-4-1 to tie the school record for wins. Santa Clara had beaten perennial power North Carolina by the same score in the semifinals.

The two West Coast Conference rivals, playing in unseasonably cold and rainy conditions, battled toe to toe until Portland defender Kristen Moore ran the ball after a service from Erin Misaki and created enough space to cross the ball to Sinclair. Sinclair's first shot was blocked by Santa Clara goalkeeper Alyssa Sobolik, but the rebound trickled back to Sinclair, who punched it home for the game-winner.

Sinclair finished the year with 26 goals and ran her 2002 playoff goal total to 10. She has scored 14 career NCAA postseason goals, just one behind North Carolina star Mia Hamm's record of 15. Sinclair now holds or shares NCAA playoff records for goals and points in a game, goals in tournament and points in a tournament.

Portland goalkeeper Lauren Arase allowed just one goal in the six games of the 2002 playoffs, setting an NCAA record for playoff goals-against average (0.16).

Just over eight minutes after Santa Clara's Devvyn Hawkins put the Broncos ahead, 1-0, in the 53rd minute on a rebound off the crossbar, Sinclair evened the score with a bending shot from just outside the penalty area on an extreme angle to the far post.

The Broncos nearly countered the goal a few minutes later with an aggressive offensive attack, but Chardonnay Poole's header off Aly Wagner's corner kick bounced off the crossbar, then the post before Portland's Lauren Arase was able to stop the ball for a save.

Santa Clara's goal was the first allowed by the Pilots since Santa Clara scored in the 11th minute at Portland on November 3, a span of eight games and 809:59 minutes. Santa Clara won that game, 1-0.

"I was completely breathless when we scored the last goal (ending the second overtime)," Portland head coach Clive Charles said. "I was sitting there dreading penalty kicks and all of a sudden, there was a break and the ball ended up to the right person. It felt like 10 tons were lifted off my shoulders."

Wagner was saved in overtime by a diving Arase after Wagner had won a challenge from Lauren Orlandos. Arase later punched Leslie Osborne's long-range shot over the crossbar, but was knocked out with a head injury at 5:33 left in the first overtime, and freshman Kim Head came on after having played just 25:12 and facing one shot during the entire season.

"Portland is such a great team," said Wagner. "If we can't win it all, I am glad it was Portland. Of course, we wanted to win, but you can't take anything away from them. This (national championship) has been long overdue for them. It's just too bad it had to be against us."

The No. 8-seeded Pilots were the lowest-seeded team to make and win the championship game since the NCAA tournament began seeding eight teams in 1994.

Sinclair, Orlandos, Misaki and Arase were named to the all-tournament team for Portland, with Sinclair beng named the tournament's most outstanding offensive player. Santa Clara's Wagner, Hawkins, Veronica Zepeda and Jessica Ballweg also were named to the all-tournament team, as were Penn State's Joanna Lohman, and North Carolina's Catherine Reddick and Lindsay Tarpley. Ballweg was the tournament's most outstanding defensive player.

Semifinals

First half: SC -- Veronica Zepeda (Devvyn Hawkins, Bree Horvath), 9:30.

Second half: SC -- Veronica Zepeda (unassisted), 71:10; NC -- Lindsay Tarpley (Catherine Reddick), 78:34.

Shots: Santa Clara 7, North Carolina 19. Goalkeeper saves: Ssanta Clara (Alyssa Sobolik) 3; North Carolina (Jenni Branam) 1. Corner kicks: Santa Clara 6, North Carolina 5. Fouls: Santa Clara 12, North Carolina 11. Attendance: 10,040.

First half: P -- Christine Sinclair (unassisted), 2:26.

Second half: P -- Wanda Rozwadowska (Emily Patterson), 57:33.

Shots: Portland 16, Penn St. 7. Goalkeeper saves: Portland (Lauren Arase) 1; Penn St. (Amanda Brown) 6. Corner kicks: Portland 3, Penn St. 3. Fouls: Portland 8, Penn St. 11. Attendance: 9,774.

Championship

Second half: SC -- Devvyn Hawkins (Chardonnay Poole), 52:08; P -- Christine Sinclair (unassisted), 60:18.

Second overtime: P -- Sinclair (unassisted), 103:27.

Shots: Portland 24, Santa Clara 16. Goalkeeper saves: P ortland (Lauren Arase) 9; Santa Clara (Alyssa Sobolik) 7. Corner kicks: Portland 8, Santa Clara 5. Fouls: Portland 13, Santa Clara 10. Attendance: 10,027.