Intercollegiate athletics began in the early 1920s at the University of Portland and continues its rich tradition into the twenty-first century. The 2005-06 sporting year was historical at UP as the women’s soccer team capped an unbeaten season by winning the NCAA Championship for the second time in four years. Portland finished 23-0-2 to become just the second school in history to complete an unbeaten season with a title. The Pilots also became the third program to win multiple women’s soccer titles. During the magical season, Portland set a new NCAA attendance record for both men’s and women’s soccer by bringing in 40,841 fans to 12 home women’s matches. The Pilots’ average attendance of 3,403 topped the nation in 2005.

Since the early 1990s, the soccer programs at Portland have been perennial powerhouses. The Pilots received national acclaim by winning the Women’s College Cup in 2002 for the school’s first NCAA Championship. Clive Charles, the heart and soul of the UP soccer programs since his arrival at the University in 1986, began as the men’s coach and then took on coaching responsibilities for both teams in 1989. In 31 combined seasons, Charles led the men’s and women’s programs to 13 conference championships and 20 NCAA playoff berths. Among Charles’ accomplishments was the 1988 season, when the Pilot men’s soccer team went undefeated in regular season action. Charles’ followed through with his confident words to bring the program to the national spotlight; few thought it was possible in just three years. Portland finished the 1988 season 21-1-0, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Indiana. The season was highlighted by freshman keeper sensation Kasey Keller, who would go on to be one of the nation’s all-time best collegiate goalkeepers. Keller was twice a finalist for both the Missouri Athletic Club and the Hermann Trophy Player of the Year (1990-91) awards.

The 1995 soccer season was also a memorable one for the Portland community. Both the men’s and women’s teams advanced to their respective Final Fours, with the women making it to the finals before losing to Notre Dame 1-0 in overtime. The previous year saw the women head to the semifinals for the first time behind the high-powered tandem of Tiffeny Milbrett and Shannon MacMillan. Milbrett was a Hermann Trophy finalist and three times nominated for the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year. MacMillan won both honors in 1995, and was also named the Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of the Year for the state of Oregon. Christine Sinclair, who set numerous national and school scoring records as a senior in 2005, was a unanimous first team All-America selection all four years on The Bluff. In addition to taking home the M.A.C Hermann Trophy in 2004 and 2005, Sinclair won the prestigious 2006 Honda-Broderick Cup for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, which spans all sports at the NCAA Division I level. She was also named Academic All-American of the Year.

In all, Portland soccer teams have earned a combined 26 NCAA Tournament berths, ten semifinal appearances and two women’s national titles. Several former Pilots are regular members of professional, national and Olympic teams worldwide. Shortly after Charles passed away on Aug. 26, 2003, the University created the Clive Charles Soccer Complex, which permanently honor his legacy with continued improvements to UP’s soccer facilities.

National success came early for the Pilot men’s basketball program as Portland participated in postseason play nine times between 1948 and 1959. Portland earned four straight playoff berths in the NAIB Tournament from 1948 to 1952, taking third-place in the 1951-52 season. The Pilots went to the NAIA Tournament four times between 1952 and 1958, highlighted by a 1955-56 team that posted a 20-8 record. The Pilots became a NCAA Division I program during the 1958-59 season and promptly earned their first NCAA playoff berth that same year. The 1995-96 team won the WCC tournament and went back to the NCAA postseason for the second time in school history.

The tennis program joined the Pilot spotlight by rattling off an unbelievable win streak of 79 matches in a row over a five-year period from 1952-57. The team was a major force in the Northwest through the early 1960s, with the likes of Portland Hall of Famers Jim Flynn, Jack Neer and Omar Pabst leading the way. Jerry Doyle posted a career 79-1 mark during his four years at UP in the mid 1950s. The Pilots earned their first-ever national ranking in 2005, coming in at No. 73 in the ITA Poll. Portland was ranked as high as No. 70 in 2005 and No. 75 in 2007.

Baseball got into the action by heading to the NCAA Tournament in 1957 and 1958. The 1958 team advanced to the District 8 finals before finishing the season with a 25-8 mark. The Pilots returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1979, 1989 and 1991. Major leaguers Billy Sullivan, Ken Dayley, Bill Krueger, Tom Lampkin, Steve Wilson and Kory Casto are a few former Pilots who have played professionally.

The women’s cross country team claimed the NAIA Championship in 1985 after earning runner-up honors the previous year. Both the men’s and women’s teams have dominated WCC competition and been national-level competitors for the past couple of decades. The women have won 17 out of the 22 WCC Cross Country Championships, while the men have won 28 consecutive conference championships since 1979. Head coach Rob Conner took the reins in 1990 and his men’s teams have participated in eight NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Pilots placed seventh nationally in 2001 and finished ninth in the country in 2005, led by John Moore’s All-American performance.

The women’s basketball team earned NCAA tournament berths four seasons in a row from 1993 to 1997, including an undefeated and unprecedented 14-0 league record, while finishing the 1997 season 27-3. Guard Deanna Lansing was a member of all four tournament teams and was recently inducted into the Pilot Hall of Fame. Jim Sollars has been at the helm of the women’s program since 1986, and since then his teams have been a model of consistency. Sollars recorded his 250th win at Portland during the 2002-03 season, and has more than 400 wins as an intercollegiate head coach. He has the second most conference wins in the history of the WCC.

The tradition of Pilot athletics spans over a variety of sports and eras and undoubtedly continues into the twenty-first century.

Recent Highlights

1988-89

·          Baseball claims Pac-10 Northern Division Tournament Championship and makes fourth appearance at NCAA District/Regionals.

·          Men’s soccer is WCC champion, first NCAA appearance, makes Final Four.

1989-90

·          Men’s soccer takes home WCC championship, makes the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

1990-91

·          Men’s soccer earns third consecutive WCC title, but loses in the first round of NCAA playoffs.

·          Baseball wins Pac-10 Northern Division Championship and appears in NCAA District/Regional Playoffs for the fifth time.

1991-92

·          Men’s soccer reaches second round of NCAA Tournament.

1992-93

·          Men’s soccer earns No.1 national ranking, fifth-straight NCAA appearance.

·          Women’s soccer ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, en route to their first-ever NCAA appearance.

1993-94

·          Men’s and women’s soccer simultaneously earn NCAA playoff bids; men lose in the first round, women come within one victory of the Final Four.

·          Women’s basketball claims the WCC Tournament Championship, makes first ever NCAA appearance.

·          Men’s cross country team places 12th at the NCAA Championships.

1994-95

·          The Pilot women’s soccer team captures the WCC title and reaches the NCAA Final Four.

·          Women’s basketball makes second NCAA appearance.

1995-96

·          Soccer coach Clive Charles leads both women and men to their respective Final Four and becomes the second coach in the history to lead two teams to the NCAA semifinals in the same year. Women finish the year with a school record 20 wins.

·          Women’s basketball makes third straight NCAA appearance.

·          Pilot men’s basketball team wins the WCC Tournament, makes second NCAA Tournament appearance.

1996-97

·          Men’s soccer leads the nation in average home attendance (2,554). Charles is named head coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team.

·          Women’s soccer is WCC Champion. Advance to third-straight Final Four.

·          Women’s basketball makes fourth consecutive NCAA appearance.

·          Men’s cross country finish 10th at the NCAA Championships.

1997-98

·          Women’s soccer wins fourth-straight WCC title and makes sixth-straight NCAA appearance.

1998-99

·          Women’s basketball makes National Women’s Invitational Tournament.

·          Women’s soccer reaches their fourth NCAA semifinal.

1999-2000

·          Pilot men’s soccer earns eighth bid to the NCAA tournament.

·          Men’s cross country make their fourth NCAA appearance, finish 26th overall.

2000-01

·          Women’s soccer claims WCC title, advances to their fifth NCAA semifinal.

2001-02

·          Men’s soccer makes the third round of NCAA Tournament.

·          Women’s soccer advances to their sixth NCAA semifinal in the last eight years.

·          Men’s cross country finishes seventh in the NCAA Championships, the highest finish in school history.

2002-03

·          Women’s soccer wins its first NCAA championship and gives Portland its first NCAA title in any sport.

·          Men’s soccer wins WCC title and makes the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

2003-04

·          Women’s soccer advances to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

·          Men’s soccer makes the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

·          Men’s cross country earns bid to their sixth NCAA meet, finish 27th overall.

2004-05

·          Women’s soccer advances to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

·          Men’s soccer makes the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

·          Men’s tennis earns its first-ever national ranking (No. 73 in the ITA Poll, 2-15-05)

2005-06

·          Women’s soccer wins its second NCAA Championship in the last four years and becomes the second women’s soccer program in the nation to finish an unbeaten season with a title.

·          Christine Sinclair (wsoc) wins the Honda-Broderick Cup

·          Men’s cross country places ninth at the NCAA Championship meet and wins its 27^th consecutive WCC title.

·          Women’s cross country wins its fourth-straight WCC title and 16^th overall.

·          (remove line re: baseball players getting drafted)

2006-07

·          Women’s soccer advances to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

·          Men’s cross country places 18^th at the NCAA Championship, third at the NCAA West Regionals and wins 28^th straight WCC crown.

·          Women’s cross country wins its fifth straight WCC title and 17^th overall.

·          Four Pilots taken in the 2007 MLB draft