Tournament Central I Complete Release (PDF)
Game Information
The Portland Pilots were awarded a No. 2 seed in the 2008 NCAA playoffs and will host a pair of first round matches on Friday, November 14 at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. The first match features Texas vs. Washington State at 5 p.m., followed by the Pilots and Northern Arizona at 8 p.m. The winning teams will meet on Sunday, November 16 at 1 p.m.
Game Coverage
The Portland-NAU match on Friday will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Northwest. Live stats will be available for all NCAA playoff matches at ncaasports.com. Free audio broadcasts for Portland games will be available at portlandpilots.com. Visit the women’s soccer schedule page and click ‘Details’ for direct links.
Ticket Information
Tickets will go on sale at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12 and start at $8. One ticket is good for both Friday games, but a separate ticket will need to be purchased for Sunday’s match. Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling (503) 224-4400 or in-person at the Pilot Box Office. UP season ticket holders can pick up their playoff tickets beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Pilot Box Office. For those season ticket holders unable to reach the box office prior to the game, the tickets will be held at the Will Call entrance to the Clive Charles Soccer Complex.
Tournament Tidbits
* The tournament field consists of 64 teams (30 automatic bids, 34 at-large selections).
* 16 teams were seeded, as four teams from each quadrant are given seeds, 1-4.
* The four No. 1 seeds are Notre Dame, UCLA, North Carolina and Stanford.
* The 2008 NCAA Women’s College Cup will be held in Cary, N.C. at WakeMed Soccer Park.
* NCAA semifinal action begins Friday, Dec. 5 and the championship game is Sunday, Dec. 7.
* ESPN2/ESPNU will televise the first semifinal live (1:30 p.m. PST) and the second semifinal will air live on ESPNU (4 p.m. PST). Championship game will be aired live on ESPN2 (11 a.m. PST).
Pilots Briefly
• Portland extended its win streak to 16 games with a 4-1 victory at No. 14 San Diego last Saturday. After surrendering an early second half goal, the Pilots tallied four unanswered scores to claim the outright WCC Championship.
• Sophie Schmidt scored the equalizer and added two assists in the win. Schmidt was named the Soccer America National Player of the Week and also garnered WCC Player of the Week honors.
• Senior MF Megan Rapinoe was named the WCC Player of the Year; Danielle Foxhoven earned WCC Freshman of the Year honors and Garrett Smith won his third Coach of the Year award.
• A total of 10 Pilots earned All-WCC recognition.
• The team’s 16-match win streak is the longest in school history.
• Portland has 13 shutouts and has outscored opponents 58-5 this season.
• Six Pilots have at least 10 points this season, while 14 different players have scored goals.
• Portland played eight games this season against NCAA playoff teams and posted a 7-1-0 record.
• Michelle Enyeart, Keelin Winters and Elli Reed were officially named to the USA U-20 National Team for the upcoming U-20 World Cup and will not be with the Pilots for the playoffs.
• Enyeart (first team) and Jessica Tsao (second team) were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 Team.
• Portland ranks in the top 10 nationally in every team statistic: No. 2 in GAA (0.28) and shutout pct. (0.722), No. 3 in win pct. (0.944), No. 4 in scoring (3.22) and No. 8 in save pct. (0.875).
• Junior GK Kelsey Davis ranks No. 2 nationally in GAA (0.276) and has played every minute in goal for the Pilots this season. Her 13 shutouts are tied for third on the UP single-season list.
• Megan Rapinoe is one goal away from joining the 30-goal, 25-assist club.
• Senior Rachael Rapinoe was lost for the season after she tore her ACL against USC on Sept. 1. It is the second consecutive season that Rapinoe has suffered the injury.
• Five starters and 14 letterwinners return from an 18-4-0 team in 2007 that lost 3-2 in double OT at UCLA in the NCAA quarterfinals.
UP Tournament Notes
• 16th NCAA appearance in the last 17 years with a 40-12-3 (.755) all-time record.
• One of just three schools to have won multiple championships (North Carolina, Notre Dame).
• 8 College Cup appearances are 4th most behind UNC (23), Santa Clara (10), Notre Dame (9).
• The Pilots have reached at least the third round the last eight years.
• First time hosting opening rounds in four years despite being seeded each season.
• Garrett Smith is 16-3-2 (.810) in the playoffs.
• Both championships have come on Texas soil - 2002 in Austin and 2005 in College Station.
• The Pilots have been bounced from the last two playoffs in quarterfinal matches at UCLA.
UP Against The 2008 Tourney Field
Aug. 30 vs. UCLA L, 0-1
Sept. 1 vs. USC W, 1-0 (ot)
Sept. 12 vs. Northern Arizona W, 7-0
Sept. 19 vs. Florida W, 2-0
Sept. at Rutgers W, 1-0
Sept. 28 at Penn State W, 4-1
Oct. 3 vs. Washington W, 1-0 (ot)
Nov. 8 at San Diego W, 4-1
Scouting Northern Arizona
The Lumberjacks (12-6-3, 4-1-2 Big Sky) won the Big Sky Conference title for the first time in program history as they enter Friday’s match with a six-game unbeaten streak. The Lumberjacks claimed the Big Sky title by defeating Weber State 2-1 in Ogden, Utah. NAU goals came from the feet of sophomore Breanna Noies and junior Cee Cee Odorfer who had the game-winner. Previous to that, Northern Arizona posted victories against Portland State, Northern Colorado, Eastern Washington, Idaho State and a tie with Montana. NAU has outscored their opponents 40-26. Junior striker and co-captain Odorfer leads NAU with the team high in both goals (10) and assists (8). Half of Odorfer’s goals have been game-winners. Freshman Jenna Samora has contributed seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Playmakers Sam Monahan and Sarah Netherton organize the NAU attack. Netherton has a team leading seven assists, while Monahon adds six assists. On defense, NAU’s backline is led by the team co-captain senior Kayla Bauder. Bauder is flanked by sophomore defenders Tori Howe, Kristi Andreassen and Katie Tribbey. Redshirt freshman Tori Rocke occupies the goalkeeper position for NAU and posts a 1.10 goals-against average with seven shutouts. Rocke’s 6.45 saves per game is 20th best in the nation. Head coach Andre Luciano, the year’s Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, is in his eighth season leading the Lumberjacks and posted a 7-7-5 record last year. Returning this fall are 16 letterwinners and six starters.
Scouting Texas
The Longhorns (12-3-4, 5-2-3 Big 12) tied for fifth in the Big 12 conference and enter the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid. In recent NCAA Tournaments, Texas advanced to the Round of 16 in 2006 and 2007. Texas won the national championship in 1995. Senior defender Kasey Moore and freshman Courtney Goodson lead the team with six goals and 16 points each. Senior goalkeeper Dianna Pfenninger has made 80 saves (0.65 GAA) and recorded 10 shutouts in 19 matches. Head coach Chris Petrucelli is in his ninth season at Texas and posted a 16-4-5 record last year. 19 letterwinners and eight starters returned this fall.
Scouting Washington State
The Cougars (10-5-5, 4-3-2 Pacific-10) are making their fourth appearance at the NCAA Tournament by earning an at-large bid. WSU is on a three-match winning streak and have outscored their opponents this season 25-19. Against ranked opponents this season WSU has gone 2-3-3. The Cougars posted wins against then No. 12 California and No. 21 UC Santa Barbara, loses against then No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 UCLA and No. 11 Illinois, and ties against then No. 5 USC, No. 13 West Virginia and No. 21 California. Elysee Van Leer leads the Cougars’ attack with seven goals and one assist for a team high 15 points. Goalkeeper Lindsay Parlee has made 110 saves and recorded six shutouts between the posts for WSU. Head coach Matt Potter is in his sixth year at the helm of the Cougars and is making his first postseason appearance. Last year WSU went 11-5-3. 13 letterwinners and five starters returned this fall.
Series Records
Portland and Northern Arizona have played two matches in the last three years, with UP leading the all-time series 2-0-0 and outscoring NAU 11-0. NAU and Portland last met earlier this season on Sept. 12 in Portland, Ore. with UP winning 7-0.
Portland and Texas have met eight times with the Pilots owning an 8-0-0 record. The last meeting was a 2-0 victory at Texas in the third round of the 2006 playoffs. Portland also earned a 2-0 win over the Longhorns in the third round of the 2004 playoffs.
Portland and Washington State have met 18 times with the Pilots claiming a 16-1-1 series record. Portland has won the last 13 meetings dating back to 1985.
