PORTLAND PILOTS (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
WEEK 1: against Cal Poly Mustangs and Stonehill Skyhawks
Cal Poly Mustangs
(0-0-0, 0-0-0 Great West)
Day: Thursday
Date: 15 August 2024
Time: 7pm
Location: San Luis Obispo, California.
Pitch: Mustang Memorial Field
Video/Statistics: ESPN+/PortlandPilots.com
POR compared to CPU
Complete series: 2-0-2
H: 2-0-0 • A: 0-0-1 • N: 0-0-1
Last: @POR 2, CPU 0 (2023)
Stone Hill Skyhawks
(0-0-0, 0-0-0 NEC)
Day: Sunday
Date: 18 August 2024
Time: 1pm
Location: Portland, Oregon.
Pitch: Merlo field
Video/Statistics: ESPN+/PortlandPilots.com
POR vs STONE
Complete series: 1-0-0
H: 0-0-0 • A: 1-0-0 • N: 0-0-0
Last: POR4, @STONE 0 (2023)
THIS WEEK
• Soccer is back on The Bluff! The 2024 season has begun and the women’s soccer teams will open the year against the Cal Poly Mustangs and Stonehill Skyhawks.
• They play the Mustangs on Thursday, August 15th at 7 p.m. in San Luis Obispo and the Skyhawks on Sunday, August 18th at 1 p.m. at Merlo Field.
• Links to video streams and live stats can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
LAST SEASON FOR THE PILOTS
• The Portland Pilots finished last season 10-4-3 with a 4-3-1 record in WCC play. Their overall record gave them their best winning percentage since 2013.
• With at least 10 wins each of the last two years, the Pilots have also finished two consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins for the first time since 2013.
• The Pilots reached 10 wins faster than any other season since 2018, Michelle French’s first year as coach of the Pilots. It is also the third time under French that they have achieved at least 10 wins in a year.
• The Pilots were dominant defensively last year, leading the league in goals-against average (.529), save percentage (.839) and shutout percentage (.647). They were second nationally in shutout percentage and ninth in goals-against average.
PRE-SEASON AWARDS
• The Pilots finished fourth in the 2024 preseason coaches poll and two of their players were named to the preseason All-WCC team: Bre Norris and Cally Togiai.
• Norris is coming off a stellar season in which she posted a .836 save percentage, a goals-against average of just .529 and 11 shutouts in 17 games. She led the WCC in save percentage, goals-against average and shutouts, ranking 11th and 8th nationally in the last two categories.
• Norris’ standout season earned her the WCC Goalkeeper of the Year award and also earned her selection to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-West Region First Team.
• Norris was also named United Soccer Coaches’ Goalkeeper to Watch for the second year in a row.
• Togiai, meanwhile, scored the second most points of any returning Pilot with seven points, including one goal and four assists. She was named to the All-WCC Second Team and All-West Region Third Team.
ALL ABOUT THE PLAYERS
• The Pilots return 18 players this season after losing nine, and there are seven new additions for the season.
• Four pilots who earned All-WCC honors last year return: Norris, Togiai, Katana Norman and Violet Rademacher.
• Norman was an honorable mention All-WCC defender and played a key role at fullback for the Pilots.
• Rademacher was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team after scoring four goals in her first season of competition last year. All four of those goals were game-winning for the Pilots.
• Rademacher has the highest point total of any returning player for Portland.
• Other notable returnees include Shay Adams, who missed last season due to injury but returns for a fifth year in 20214.
• Adams was named to the 2022 All-WCC First Team and All-West Region Second Team.
• Seven of Portland’s 18 returning players started at least 10 games last year, and 12 of them started at least 10 games last season. Starters not yet mentioned include Keeley Dockter and Elianna Wong.
• Dockter is a fixture in the Pilots’ midfield and scored a goal against San Francisco this year. Her sister, Aliyah Dockter, joined the Pilots last season and started every game with six starters.
• Wong played on the Pilots’ defense last year, bringing some variety to the lineup and recording one assist this year.
• Isabella Yakel played 16 games for Portland, including 10 starts, and played as both a defender and a midfielder.
• Brooke Miller played in all 17 games for Portland last year and scored one goal as a forward.
• Kayla Adams, Hailey Bagby and Nina Rhode also played at least 10 games for Portland last season. Adams was one of only two Pilots to score multiple goals in a game, against San Diego.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• Portland played both opponents last season and won both games.
• The Cal Mustangs went 10-8-3 with a 6-3-1 record in Big West play last season. They made it to the Big West Tournament championship before losing to UC Irvine.
• The Stonehill Skyhawks finished 2-13-1 last season. Stonehill is one of the few Holy Cross schools in the country and plays in what is now known as the Cross and Anchors Classic.
• Alex Crozier is in his 33rd year as coach of the Mustangs, while Alex Wilson is in his 12th season.
THE STAFF
• UP graduate Michelle French begins her sixth year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French has a 55-41-18 record in her six years as Portland’s head coach.
• French came to The Bluff after 12 years as a coach in the U.S. soccer system, most recently as an assistant coach for the women’s national team.
• With the Pilots, French was an All-American defender (1995-98), a four-year starter and a finalist for National Player of the Year as a senior in 1998. As a player, she led the Pilots to three NCAA Final Four appearances, including the 1995 NCAA title game.
• Assistant head coaches Maite Zabala and Logan Emory are in their sixth and fifth years, respectively, with the women’s soccer program. Last year they became the first assistant head coaches in the program’s history.
• The staff was named Western Region Personnel of the Year by United Soccer Coaches, the first time they have received this honor.
• Assistant coach Tina Frimpong Ellertson is also joining the team this year. Frimpong Ellertson is a former US national team player and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year with the Washington Huskies in 2004.
THE STORY
• Portland has a strong women’s soccer tradition and is one of only seven teams to win multiple NCAA championships in the sport (2002, 2005).
• The Pilots have reached the Final Four eight times (1994-96, 1998, 2000-02, 2005) and won 13 WCC championships.
• The Pilots have made it to the postseason 22 times.
• The Pilots led the nation in attendance for ten consecutive seasons (2005-14). In 2018, UP ranked fourth in the country in per-game attendance (1,679) and sixth in total attendance (18,474).
PILOTS IN THE PROFESSIONALS
• Portland’s women’s soccer program has a long history of sending players to the professional ranks, both in the United States and Europe.
• The Puget Sound region is a popular destination for Portland graduates, as eight former women’s soccer players have played for the Reign.
• Megan Rapinoe is one of the most famous former players, winning the national championship with the Pilots in 2005 before becoming a mainstay of the women’s game.
• The Portland Thorns sign legendary Christine Sinclair, who spent her entire NWSL career in Portland.
• Sinclair helped the Thorns win three NWSL championships (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields in 2016 and 2021 and the Women’s International Champions Cup.
• Sophie Schmidt was a fixture for both the Canadian national team and the NWSL, spending her final seasons with the Houston Dash
• Taryn Ries most recently played for MSV Duisburg in Germany. Pilot graduate Natalie Muth also currently plays for Duisburg.
• Ellie Walker signed her first professional contract with Portuguese club SCU Toronese last summer and currently plays for SC Braga.
• Former pilot Larkin Russell plays for Swedish club Växjö DFF.
