for immediate release Feb. 7, 2000

WINTERS GOES TO COLUMBUS CREW;
PILOT SOCCER TEAMS HIGH IN ATTENDANCE
PORTLAND, Ore. -- University of Portland senior midfielder Brian Winters was selected in the third round of Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) draft.

The senior from Tacoma, Wash., was Columbus’ #9 pick in the third round of the draft, and was the 33rd overall selection. Winters was a three-time all-West Coast Conference selection, including a first-team pick in 1999. He was also a two-time WCC all-Academic pick.

Winters played in and started all 75 possible Portland games in his four-year career, and notched four assists in his senior season.

In other soccer news, the University of Portland was one of just two schools nationwide which placed both men’s and women’s teams in the top 10 for home attendance.

The Pilot women were fifth on the national list with a home average of 1,581 fans, while the Pilot men were sixth with an average of 1,712.

Duke was the only other team to have both men’s (4th) and women’s (10th) programs ranked in the top 10. Saint Louis topped the men’s list with a 3,037 home average, while North Carolina led the women’s list (3,196).