PORTLAND PILOTS (3-3-0, 0-0-0 WCC)
WEEK 5: vs. Oregon and North Dakota
Oregon Ducks
(3-0-3, 0-0-0 Pac-12)
Day: Friday
Date: Sept. 17, 2021
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Eugene, Ore.
Pitch: Papé Field
Video/Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. UO
Overall Series: 19-4-3
H: 9-3-1
 •  A: 10-1-2
 •  N: 0-0-0
Last: POR 2, @UO 2 (Sept. 13, 2019)
North Dakota Fighting Hawks (2-3-0, 0-0-0 Summit League)
Day: Sunday
Date: Sept. 19, 2021
Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video/Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. UND
Overall Series: 1-0-0
H: 0-0-0  • Â
A: 1-0-0  •
 N: 0-0-0
Last: POR 1, @UND 0 (Sept. 21, 2018)
THIS WEEKÂ
• The Pilots have one home and one away match this coming week, heading down south to Eugene for a game against the Oregon Ducks before returning to Merlo Field for their game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
• Kickoff for Friday's match is set for 7 p.m. while Sunday's is set for 4 p.m.
• Links for a video stream and live stats for both matches can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
TICKETS
• For tickets to Sunday's match, check PortlandPilots.com/tickets.
NEXT WEEK
• Portland is off the following week before starting conference against the No. 9 Pepperdine Waves on Saturday Oct. 2 in Malibu.
• That match is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for live video and stats options.
ABOUT THE PILOTSÂ
• Portland is an even 3-3-0 on the season, most recently trouncing the Colorado College Tigers 3-0.
• It was the first multi-goal win of the season for the Pilots and the first match where multiple Pilots netted a score.
• Sophomore forward Nedya Sawan scored the second goal of the match for her fourth goal of the season.
• Sawan has now doubled her goal total from last season and ranks third in the WCC in total goals. She is also first in shot accuracy (.765), second in goals per game (.67) and third in game-winning goals (2).
• Freshman forward Cally Togiai and senior forward Taryn Ries each scored their first goals of the season against the Tigers.
• Togiai's goal was the first of her Pilot career and she also added an assist on the day.
• Ries's goal was the 30th of her career.
• Prior to the start of the season, Ries was named to the All-WCC Preseason squad for the third season in a row. She was the only Pilot to earn such an honor.
• Ries finished last season with a team-leading five goals,  good for sixth in the conference. She notched a hat trick in the season opener against Oregon State (Feb. 10) and a brace against the Pacific Tigers (March 6).
• Ries was also one of four Pilots to earn All-WCC recognition last season, making the All-WCC First Team. The other three were Camille Ashe, Sophia Mattice and Elliott Winklemann.
• Freshman goalkeeper Bre Norris has put together a solid start to her first year on The Bluff.
• Portland's shutout on Saturday was the third of this season for the Pilots with Norris between the pipes.
• The Boise, Idaho native also ranks third in the WCC in total saves (23). Two of the keepers ahead of her --Brenna Crump and Kendyll Humprheys -- have each played one more match than Norris.
• The Pilots are a young squad that returns all but five athletes that played with the team last season. They also add eight talented newcomers to the squad.Â
• The Pilots entered the season picked to finish fifth in the conference for the second year in a row.
• Ashe and Mattice both return after putting together stellar freshmen seasons.
• Ashe, who was All-WCC Honorable Mention while also making the All-WCC Freshman Team, started in all 10 matches for the Pilots as a center back. She helped the Pilots record five straight shutouts for the first time since 2010, back when they were ranked second in the nation.
• Midfielder Mattice played and started in nine matches for Portland. She recorded a goal and an assist on the season.
• Ashe and Mattice were not the only young Pilots to play a significant role with the team this past season.
• Sawan played in nine matches (six starts) for the Pilots and ranked second on the team in goals scored (2) and total points (5).
• Both of Sawan's goals came in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Torreros on March 27. Sawan also recorded an assist against the Pacific Tigers on March 6.
• Eight of the nine Pilots who played in every match this past season -- Gabi Brummett, Jamie Rita, Ellie Walker, Emily Collier, Hannah McCord, Camille Ashe, MJ Roe and Sophie French -- will play this year for Portland.
• French and Walker both played roles in helping the Pilots secure five straight shutouts.
• Brummett and Rita each played key roles in the Pilots' offense, with Brummett notching a team-leading two assists on the year and Rita adding a goal herself.
ABOUT THE DUCKS
• Oregon is undefeated to start the year at 3-0-3.
• They've played one other WCC opponent in the San Francisco Dons, tying them 2-2.
• Ally Cook is their leading scorer so far this year with five goals and one assist for 11 total points. Both totals are good for third in the Pac-12.
• Last season, the Ducks posted a winning record for the first time since 2006, going 6-6-5.
• They set a program record last season for lowest goals-against average at 0.69.
• Graeme Abel is in his second season as head coach of the Ducks.
ABOUT THE FIGHTING HAWKS
• The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are 2-3-0 to start the year.
• Their two wins were both dominant displays of soccer. They took down Southern University 7-0 on Aug. 28 and Northern State 3-0 on Sept. 7.
• Madi Livingston has been solid between the pipes for the Hawks, ranking fifth in the Summitt League in save percentage (.764) and sixth in goals-against average (1.07).
• The Fighting Hawks were picked to finish seventh in the Summitt League and had two players -- Mary Gasaway and JoJo Prisock -- named to the Summit League Players to Watch List.
• Chris Logan is in his fifth season as head coach of North Dakota.
THE STAFFÂ
• UP alum Michelle French is in her fourth year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French posted a 20-19-8 record in her first three years as the head coach of Portland.
• French came to The Bluff after spending 12 years coaching in the U.S. Soccer system, most recently as an assistant coach with the Senior Women's National Team.Â
• With the Pilots, French (1995-98) was an All-American defender, a four-year starter, and a finalist for National Player of the Year as a senior in 1998; she led the Pilots to three NCAA Final Four appearances as a player, including the NCAA title game in 1995.
• Assistant coach Maite Zabala is in her fourth year on The Bluff, while assistant coach and UP alum Logan Emory is in his third year on the women's side after spending the previous three seasons with the men's program.
• Molly Dwyer joins the coaching staff here at Portland after coaching stints with UNC Asheville and Racing Louisville FC.
THE HISTORYÂ
• Portland has a strong women's soccer tradition and is one of just five programs to win multiple NCAA Championships in the sport (2002, 2005).Â
• The Pilots have made eight Final Four appearances (1994-96, 1998, 2000-02, 2005) and they've won 13 WCC Championships.Â
• The Pilots have advanced to the post-season 21 times overall.
• The Pilots led the nation in attendance for 10 consecutive seasons (2005-14); in 2018 UP ranked fourth in the country in attendance per game (1,679) and were sixth in overall attendance (18,474).
THE OLYMPICS
• University of Portland women's soccer alums Megan Rapinoe (USA), Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Sophie Schmidt (Canada) represented their countries this past summer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan, with Sinclair and Schmidt winning their first ever gold medal and Rapinoe earning bronze.
• Sinclair, who is the all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's soccer at 187, scored one goal during the tournament. It came during Canada's July 21 match against the host country, Japan.
• Schmidt played in one match against Great Britain in group play.
• Sinclair and Schmidt's Canadian team defeated Megan Rapinoe and the United States Women's National Team 1-0 in the semifinals after Jessie Fleming scored the game-winning goal off a penalty. It was the second Olympics in a row where the U.S. failed to make the gold medal game.
• Rapinoe did, however, play a significant role in helping the U.S. get bronze, scoring two unassisted goals against Australia in their final match on Aug. 5. The U.S. won 4-3.
PILOTS IN THE PROSÂ
• The Portland women's soccer program has a long tradition of sending players to the pros, both in the United States and in Europe.
• The Puget Sound area has been a popular landing spot for Portland graduates as eight women's soccer alums have played for the Reign.
• Currently the OL Reign roster features Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox, who came out of retirement to re-join her long-time club.
• The Portland Thorns claim the legendary Christine Sinclair, who has spent her entire NWSL career in Portland.
• Sinclair helped the Thorns win two NWSL Championships, once in 2013 and again in 2017.
• Sophie Schmidt has spent the past three seasons as a midfielder with the Houston Dash, who won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
• The Portland women's soccer program has a long tradition of sending players to the pros, both in the United States and in Europe.
• The Puget Sound area has been a popular landing spot for Portland graduates as eight women's soccer alums have played for the Reign.
• Currently the OL Reign roster features Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox, who came out of retirement to re-join her long-time club.
• The Portland Thorns claim the legendary Christine Sinclair, who has spent her entire NWSL career in Portland.
• Sinclair helped the Thorns win two NWSL Championships, once in 2013 and again in 2017.
• Sophie Schmidt has spent the past three seasons as a midfielder with the Houston Dash, who won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
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