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PORTLAND, Ore. --- The No. 5 Portland Pilots will look to extend remain unbeaten this year as they return to Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex to host SMU and No. 21 Oklahoma State this weekend. The Pilots and Mustangs meet on Friday at 7 p.m., while UP and OSU will kickoff on Sunday at noon. Both games will have free live video, audio and live stats at Portland’s new GameCentral server.
Friday’s contest will be preceded by the second annual ‘Bite on The Bluff’ from noon until kickoff. Various food and beverage vendors will be on site as orientation weekend kicks off on campus. With over 800 new freshmen and their families moving in this weekend, the Pilots are expecting a large crowd on Friday. A post-game fireworks show will cap the evening.
The top-25 matchup to close the weekend is one of Portland’s ‘Three Buck Sunday’ specials. Youth admission is just $3 and fans can buy hand dipped ice cream cones for $3 as well. Pre-game kids zone starts at 11 a.m.
About Portland
The Pilots (2-0-0) opened the 2010 season with a pair of one-goal wins last weekend. Portland defeated cross-town rival Portland State on Friday night at Merlo Field by a 1-0 margin before 2,550 fans. Sophie Schmidt knocked in the game-winner in the 75th minute as the Pilots finally broke through with a goal. Portland owned a 27-2 margin in shots for the game, but PSU goalkeeper Rachel Jarvis recorded 13 saves to keep the score close. The Pilots quickly traveled to Cal State Northridge for a Sunday night game against the Matadors and came away with a 2-1 victory. First half reserves Taylor Brooke and Micaela Capelle scored Portland’s goals.
Head coach Garrett Smith is in his eighth season at the helm and returns an experienced core from last year’s team that finished 21-2-0 and reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive season. Eight starters are back and joined by a talented eight-player freshman class. Smith posts a 139-19-7 (.864) career record with the Pilots.
About SMU
SMU (1-0-0) opened 2010 with a 1-0 win over Florida International last Friday. Senior D Lauren Shepherd tallied the game-winner in the 77th minute. Courtney Webb made six saves to preserve the shutout for the Mustangs. Head coach Brent Erwin is in his fourth season at SMU. Portland leads the all-time series with SMU by a 3-1-0 margin and defeated the Mustangs 6-0 last year in Dallas.
About Oklahoma State
The No. 21 Cowgirls (1-0-0) defeated rival Oklahoma by a 1-0 margin on a Kyndall Treadwell strike in the 36th minute to open the 2010 season last week. OSU returns eight starters from a squad that went 15-7-2 last year, won the Big 12 Soccer Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Colin Carmichael is in his sixth season as OSU’s head coach and has compiled a 75-23-15 (.730) record. Portland is 1-0 all-time against OSU with the lone victory coming by a 9-0 margin at the 1999 Nike Portland Invitational.
