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The Portland Hearts of Pine will be on the road for the USL League One quarterfinals.

Needing a win to have any chance of moving up to fourth place before next weekend’s quarterfinals, Portland could not hold a second-half lead and tied AV Alta FC, 2-2, on Saturday night in front of 6,049 fans at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“Honestly one of our better games all year in terms of possession, and it’s hugely frustrating to not be able to give ourselves at least a chance to host a playoff game,” said left back Nathan Messer, who had a goal and an assist.

Instead, Portland’s tie, combined with a win by FC Naples, a tie by Union Omaha and a win by the South Georgia Tormenta, pushed Portland to seventh place. Naples finished fourth, Omaha fifth, and South Georgia sixth on a tiebreaker over Portland based on a greater number of wins.

The Hearts of Pine (11-7-12) will play their quarterfinal at the No. 2 Chattanooga Red Wolves (15-5-10) either Saturday or Sunday at a time to be determined. In two regular-season meetings, Chattanooga won 2-1 at home, and the clubs tied 1-1 at Fitzpatrick on Sept. 13.

Portland will be without key midfielder Masashi Wada, the club’s second-leading goal scorer with nine goals. Wada was given two yellow cards in a span of four minutes in the second half, thus earning a red card, which results in a one-game suspension. By league rules, that will be served in the quarterfinals.

“I think it’s unfortunate,” coach Bobby Murphy said. “I’m just going to leave it at unfortunate. If you watch Sashi, he hasn’t done anything all year to warrant the treatment he got tonight.

“It’s unfortunate, but we’ve had guys go down all year and the next guy has stepped up.”

Following the game, players and Murphy reflected on the historic first season. After beginning training in January, the first game was played seven months ago, with 3,200 fans jammed into Lewiston High’s Don Roux Field to see Portland’s inaugural match.

The 4-0 win against amateur squad CD Faialense of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the U.S. Open Cup proved Mainers would come out in misty 40-degree weather to see a product they’d waited years to watch; the Dirigo Union supporters’ group would bring the energy, and the players, recruited and signed by Murphy, would play an energetic, attacking style of soccer.

“Games here have been nothing short of sensational,” said Ollie Wright, the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals. “It’s a shame that (this) could be the last time we play here this year, but there are so many positives to take.”

Murphy addressed the crowd after the game and said being Portland’s coach this season has been “the greatest gift of my professional career.”

Later, Murphy said “we’ve really worked hard to provide a team that this community can be proud of. This has been just the most wonderful journey.”

Portland was coming off a 6-1 win against the third-place Spokane Velocity and was again on the attack for most of the game against AV Alta. Messer put his team in position to win with his seventh goal of the season in the 63rd minute for a 2-1 lead.

But AV Alta (8-10-12), which needed to win to have any chance of making the playoffs, knotted it up when Eduardo Blancas scored his second goal of the match. Both came on direct kicks from long distance that got between the near post and Portland keeper Hunter Morse.

Moments later, Wada was red-carded in the 72nd minute, meaning Portland played the final 20-plus minutes a man down.

The score was tied 1-1 at halftime. The Hearts conceded the first goal when Blancas curled in a direct kick from 30 yards in the eighth minute.

Portland tied the game when Wada headed in a quick reset on a corner kick. Alta’s defense had just come up with a sterling save on a Titus Washington header. Portland went quickly to the corner kick area, and Wright played a short tap to Messer, who used his dangerous left foot to send a short chip to the near post, where Wada was unmarked.

It was Portland’s second goal this season on a set piece, and the second scored on a header.