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Goal accomplished. Even if the result was a bit disappointing.

The Portland Hearts of Pine became the fourth expansion team to clinch a USL League One playoff berth in its first season with a 2-2 draw against Westchester SC on Saturday in front of 5,856 fans at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“To be able to go out and do it with a couple games left in the season, for an expansion club, is a huge accomplishment,” said Portland coach Bobby Murphy.

Prior to this season, only Union Omaha (2021) and Spokane Velocity (2022) had earned a playoff berth as a first-year team. FC Naples, one of the five 2025 expansion teams, clinched its spot Sept. 27.

Nathan Messer, Portland’s left back and the team’s leader in minutes played, said making the playoffs has been the Hearts’ No. 1 goal since they first came together for January indoor practices at the Portland Sports Complex.

“Just proud of the work we’ve done. That was always the goal, to get into the playoffs,” Messer said. “But I think we’re a very ambitious group, so it doesn’t stop at that. We’re obviously thrilled with qualifying for the playoffs and all the work we’ve done, but games like tonight, you would have liked to secure the three points (for the win).”

The draw snapped Portland’s three-game losing streak. Portland (10-7-11) has 41 points. At the game’s conclusion, Portland was in sixth place but likely would slide to seventh behind South Georgia (leading 2-0 at halftime against Greenville).

“We could have won the game, but we didn’t lose and we made the playoffs so, yeah, we feel good,” said forward Masashi Wada.

With two homes games remaining, Portland can finish with a maximum of 47 points, and that could be enough for fourth place if FC Naples doesn’t win either of its final two games and Union Omaha (42 points) doesn’t win both of its final two games.

The quarterfinals at the top four seeds are the weekend of Nov. 1-2.

Portland was in position to beat last-place Westchester ( 5-15-9) after Wada slid into a loose ball near the goal line following a Nathan Messer cross deep into the box in the 75th minute, knocking the ball across the line for a 2-1 lead.

“All of a sudden, the ball was in front of me and then, I was like, ‘I have to touch it,’ and I managed to touch it,” Wada said.

After a foul was called on Mikey Lopez, JC Obregon tied the game with his league-leading 17th goal of the season, and second of the night, lacing a direct kick from 30 yards into the top left corner of the net in the 90th minute.

“You know, disappointed not to get the win, but that’s why JC is the league’s leading goal scorer. Not many people can hit that one at the end,” Murphy said.

Portland had a healthier roster than in last weekend’s loss at One Knoxville. Center back Kemali Green and striker Titus Washington were both back in the starting lineup. In addition, the reserves included defender Sega Coulibaly, who had missed six games because of injury, and forward Jay Tee Kamara, who served a one-game suspension for a red card.

Westchester kept its defense tight in a scoreless first half, cluttering the box. Portland had nine corner kicks and seven shot attempts but only one strong scoring bid, a header by Wada off a Washington cross in the 41st minute that Westchester keeper Dane Jacomen pushed aside with a lunging save.

The best save of the half was by Portland’s Hunter Morse, who reacted quickly to snuff a shot by Obregon after Green misplayed a clearing attempt.

Portland took the lead early in the second half when Ollie Wright converted a penalty kick. The kick was awarded after Jake Keegan, making his fifth start of the season, was taken down in the box.

Obregon tied it in the 72nd minute when he one-timed a hard cross from Jonathan Bolanos, who was able to get a slight edge on Messer on a rush up the right side.