Friday • Nov. 14, 2008 • 2:00 p.m.
Moraga, Calif. (Saint Mary’s Stadium - 5,500)
Live Stats: smcgaels.com
Series: POR leads 21-4-3
Last Meeting: POR 3, SMC 0 (Oct. 19, 2008 - Portland, Ore.)
This Week in Pilots Soccer...
The Portland Pilots (8-9-2, 5-6-0 West Coast Conference) conclude the regular season this week with a game against the Saint Mary’s Gaels (4-9-4, 3-4-3 WCC) on Friday. The Pilots and Gaels are set to kick-off at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Stadium in Moraga, Calif.
Looking Back
The Pilots won both of their WCC matches at Merlo Field last weekend. On Friday, Portland sophomore Frankie Lopez scored the game-winner in the 17th minute to give the Pilots a 1-0 victory over the visiting LMU Lions. UP sophomore goalkeeper Austin Guerrero fought off 19 LMU shots to pick up the shutout, his third of the fall. Guerrero made nine saves on the night. Lopez’s strike came on a rebound from a shot by junior Collen Warner. Lopez first-timed a shot into the lower right corner of the net from left of the goal.
On Sunday, the Pilots took a 3-1 advantage over San Diego before settling for a 3-2 win. With Portland leading 2-1 in the second half, Lopez nailed a signature strike from distance. Lopez had possession on the left flank, made a move towards the middle of the field and buried what proved to be the game-winner into the top-right corner of the net from 25 yards out. The Toreros made things interesting with a goal from Andrew Feld in the 67th minute, but the Pilots would hold on for the win.
Lopez tallied two game-winners for the weekend, while Warner had a goal and two assists.
Scouting Saint Mary’s
Both of SMC’s matches last weekend went to overtime. On Sunday, San Francisco defeated the Gaels 1-0 in double overtime in Moraga. On Friday, Saint Mary’s tied Santa Clara 2-2 in Santa Clara.
Nine different Gaels have found the back of the net this season, led by junior Yousef Samy with five strikes. Justin Grider and Joel Fumia have both handed out three assists. Junior goalkeeper Jason Badger has spent a majority of the time between the posts this season. He has two shutouts and a GAA of 1.29.
Head coach Adam Cooper is in his third season at the helm of the SMC program. The Gaels returned 15 letterwinners and nine starters from a team that was 7-9-2 (3-7-2 WCC/5th) last year.
Pilots/Gaels Series
The Pilots, who defeated the Gaels 3-0 on Oct. 19 at Merlo Field, own a 21-4-3 advantage in the all-time series with Saint Mary’s. Three of the last four meetings between UP and SMC have gone to overtime. The Pilots are 8-2-3 all-time against the Gaels in Moraga.
Taking Notice
Following the weekend, sophomore midfielder/forward Frankie Lopez was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week and landed on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week. Lopez scored game-winners during Portland’s 1-0 victory over LMU on Friday and the 3-2 win against San Diego on Sunday.
Lopez leads the Pilots this season with 12 goals, 27 points and four game-winners. His 27 points are tied for the league-high. Lopez earned the WCC’s initial Player of the Week honor this fall after scoring four of UP’s first six goals of the season. His fast start also landed him on Soccer America’s, Top Drawer Soccer’s and College Soccer News’ teams of the week.
I Hate Good-byes
Last Sunday marked the final regular season appearance at Merlo Field for Portland’s five graduating seniors. Patrick Jurney, Brayton Knapp, Leland Wright, Steven Hosseinmardi and Bryan Irwin were honored with a pre-game ceremony prior to Portland’s match with San Diego.
A defender from Albuquerque, N.M., Jurney has started all 19 matches this season and has appeared in 52 career games. He has one goal this fall and three total during his career.
Knapp can play in the midfield or along the backline. A native of Sultan, Wash., Knapp has a goal and two assists this fall. He has four career goals and five career assists in 74 total games.
Wright, a midfielder who can also play up front, played at UP for three years after transferring from the University of San Diego. The native of Eugene, Ore., has two goals and three assists this fall. In 47 career games, he has three goals and six assists.
Hosseinmardi, a forward from Tucson, Ariz., has appeared in 16 matches this fall and has one goal and one assist. He has three career strikes and three career assists in 64 games.
The son of the Director of Soccer Bill Irwin, Bryan has played forward the past two seasons after beginning his career on The Bluff as a defender. A three-year starter, Irwin has ten career strikes and seven assists in 67 games.
Just Keeps Going, and Going, and Going...
Portland sophomore forward/midfielder Frankie Lopez started out the season on fire and has not let up since. Lopez, a native of McMinnville, Ore., has led the conference in goals and points for most of the season. Entering this weekend, he leads the Pilots and ranks second in the conference with 12 goals, while his 27 points lead the team and are tied for the league-high. His four game-winners also lead the team and rank second in the WCC.
After scoring four of UP’s six goals to help the Pilots claim the 2008 Nike Invitational (Aug. 29-31), Lopez was tabbed the WCC Player of the Week and was named to the national team of the week by Soccer America, College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer. He was also named the tourney’s offensive MVP, helping Portland win the Nike Invitational for the first time since 2004.
Lopez was again named the conference player of the week and landed on the College Soccer News Team of the Week after scoring both game-winners during Portland’s two wins last weekend.
Controlling the Midfield
Junior Collen Warner, who added another goal and two more assists to the statline last weekend, has owned the midfield this season for the Pilots. During Portland’s 1-0 win over LMU on Friday, Warner assisted on Frankie Lopez’s game-winner in the 17th minute. He then handed out another assist and found the back of the net during UP’s 3-2 win against San Diego on Sunday. His eight assists lead the WCC. The native of Denver, Colo., is second on the Pilots with five strikes this fall.
Warner, who was named to the All-WCC First Team and to Top Drawer Soccer’s All-Season Third Team as a sophomore last year, now has 11 career goals and 13 assists.
Among the Conference Leaders
Statistically, Portland as a team is on top or near the top of the West Coast Conference in a handful of categories. The Pilots lead the league in goals (31) and points (85), while ranking second in assists (23).
Individually, sophomore Frankie Lopez is tied for the league-high with 27 points. He ranks second with 12 goals and four game-winners. Junior Collen Warner’s eight assists lead the conference, while sophomore goalkeeper Austin Guerrero leads the WCC with 87 saves.
The Show Stopper
Portland sophomore goalkeeper Austin Guerrero’s second season on The Bluff has been just as impressive as his first. Guerrero, who has posted three shutouts this fall, leads the WCC with 87 saves. The native of Chula Vista, Calif., is beginning to appear in the UP record books, coming in at No. 6 all-time with 172 saves. His 11 career shutouts are tied for fifth all-time. With his 1-0 shutout of LMU last Friday, Guerrero moved to fifth all-time in the conference record book with his eighth career WCC shutout.
As a freshman last season, Guerrero led the league with eight shutouts, tied for the league high with 85 saves and posted a goals-against average of 0.98. He was named to the 2007 All-WCC First Team, the WCC All-Freshman Team, Soccer America’s All-Freshman team and Top Drawer Soccer’s All-Rookie Team.
Guerrero spent part of the off-season competing with the U.S. U-20’s National Team. During a match against Honduras in February, Guerrero didn’t allow a goal during regulation or two overtimes. He also stopped a shot during the shootout, allowing the U.S. to prevail 4-2 on PK’s.
1988-2008: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of UP’s First Visit to the College Cup
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Portland’s first visit to the College Cup in 1988. In Clive Charles’ third year at Portland, the Pilots ran the table during the regular season and won their first two playoff games to advance to the College Cup in Bloomington, Ind. In the semifinal match, the host school Indiana defeated the Pilots 1-0.
UP ended the year with a 21-1-0 overall record. Current Portland coaches Garrett Smith and Rob Baarts both played on that ‘88 team, while current Director of Soccer Bill Irwin was an assistant coach.
Since 1988, the Pilots have made 13 playoff appearances, including a return to the College Cup in 1995. Meanwhile, the women’s team has become one of the most successful programs in the country, winning national titles in 2002 and 2005.
