#19 Portland (0-0-0) • No. Illinois (0-0-0)
Washington (0-0-0) • #30 Evansville (0-0-0)
at Portland, Ore. (Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex - 4,892)
Friday, September 3
Pilots vs. No. Illinois, 7:00 p.m.
Free Live Video/Stats/Audio: portlandpilots.com
Washington vs. Evansville, 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: portlandpilots.com
Sunday, September 5
Pilots vs. Evansville, 1:30 p.m.
Free Live Video/Stats/Audio: portlandpilots.com
Washington vs. No. Illinois, 11:00 a.m.
Live Stats: portlandpilots.com
This Week in Pilots Soccer...
The 19th-ranked Portland Pilots (0-0-0) begin the 2010 season by hosting the annual Nike Invitational this weekend at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. Usual participant Washington (0-0-0) gets the tourney started by playing the No. 30 Evansville Purple Aces (0-0-0) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. UP follows with its season-opener against the Northern Illinois Huskies (0-0-0) at 7:00 p.m. Then on Sunday, UW takes on Northern Illinois at 11:00 a.m. before Portland battles Evansville at 1:30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PORTLAND’S GAME ON SUNDAY WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR 2:30 P.M., BUT WAS SWITCHED TO A 1:30 P.M. KICK-OFF.
In between games on Sunday, the Pilots will hold a ceremony honoring Jimmy Conway, who was the Director of Coaching for 28 years with the Oregon Youth Soccer Association. Last November, a diagnosis of trauma-induced dementia forced Conway to retire.
Welcome to GameCentral... Did We Mention that it’s FREE?
New for 2010-11 is UP’s GameCentral, a free internet portal that combines free video, audio and livestats in one location, making following the Pilots easier and more accessible than ever before. All home, non-televised men’s and women’s soccer games, volleyball matches and men’s and women’s basketball games will be available through the free service, which is also available on your iPhone, iPad, or iTouch. To access GameCentral, simply visit PortlandPilots.com.
The Portland Nike Invitational
2010 marks the 21st consecutive year in which the Pilots have hosted the Portland Invitational. Known as the Nike Invitational since 2002, the Pilots have won ten tournament titles since the invitational’s inception in 1990 and claimed the 2008 title. The Washington Huskies, who have participated in every Portland Invitational save two, have won eight tourney crowns. Creighton (2005) and last year’s winner Virginia claimed the other two titles.
The tournament champion is determined by win-loss records. The procedures for breaking ties are as follows: 1) win-loss record, 2) head-to-head record, 3) goal differential, 4) total goals scored. Along with a trophy for the team champion, awards will be given to the Most Outstanding Offensive and Defensive Players, as voted by the coaches.
Scouting Washington
Portland will not face Washington this weekend, but the Huskies will visit Merlo Field for a match against the Pilots on Saturday, Sept. 18. UW has reached the post-season 11 out of the past 14 seasons. The Huskies did not make the playoffs last year after going 5-7-6 overall and 2-3-5 in the Pac-10, for a fifth-place finish. Nine letterwinners and seven starters return, while 10 newcomers join the team, including a couple of transfers. Head coach Dean Wurzberger is in his 19th season at the helm of the UW program. This is the fourth-straight season the Huskies will open on the road.
Scouting Northern Illinois
Friday’s game with Portland is Northern Illinois’ season-opener. Last season, the Huskies went 10-8-1 overall and 3-3 in the MAC. 17 letterwinners return for Northern Illinois, while the team adds nine newcomers. Junior midfielder Brad Horton is the top returning scorer for the Huskies, after notching six goals and four assists for 16 points last season. Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Godsey is back between the pipes for the Huskies, while Kyle Knotek returns for his senior season after missing last year with a knee injury. Eric Luzzi is in his second season as head coach after spending time as NIU’s associate head coach.
Pilots/Huskies Series
Northern Illinois claimed the only previous meeting with the Pilots, a 1-0 decision at the Husky Fever Classic in Seattle in 2006. NIU’s lone goal came on a PK in the tenth minute.
Scouting Evansville
The Purple Aces enter the season ranked 30th in the College Soccer News poll. Evansville has posted four straight winning seasons and was picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference this fall. 17 letterwinners and nine starters are back from a team that went 12-8-1 overall last season. Headlining the group is senior forward Tom Irvin, who had six goals and eight assists last fall. Junior keeper Phil Boerger played all but 45 minutes in 2009, while giving up 1.10 goals per game. Mike Jacobs is in his fifth season as head coach at Evansville.
Pilots/Purple Aces Series
Portland has won four of five previous meetings with Evansville for a 4-1-0 advantage. The Purple Aces won the most recent meeting 1-0 in 2001 in Evansville, Ind. All-time, UP has outscored Evansville 9-1.
Season-Opening Success
The Portland Pilots are 21-7-5 (.712) all-time in season-openers, dating back to the first year of men’s soccer on The Bluff in 1977. The Pilots won 15 straight season-openers from 1986-2000. Portland is 17-6-4 (.704) all-time in season-openers at home and 16-4-3 (.761) in season-openers played at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex.
During last season’s opener, Portland dropped a 3-nil decision to 16th-ranked and eventual national champion Virginia.
Honoring Jimmy Conway
Jimmy Conway, a former captain and assistant coach for the Portland Timbers professional soccer club, will be honored with a special “College Appreciation Day” prior to Portland’s game against Evansville on Sunday. The celebration will take place immediately prior to the 1:30 p.m. kick-off. Jimmy Conway was a contemporary of Clive Charles, the late Director of Soccer for the Pilots, when they were with the Timbers (1978-81). Current Director of Soccer Bill Irwin, also played for the Timbers for one season (1982) when Conway was assistant coach.
Conway, who had a distinguished playing and coaching career, was the Director of Coaching for 28 years with the Oregon Youth Soccer Association. In that capacity he coached the state’s elite boys and girls teams, including many state and Region IV level players who later advanced to the University of Portland’s men’s and women’s programs. Conway continued in that position for 28 seasons until a diagnosis of trauma-induced dementia forced his retirement last November.
Fans seeking to honor Jimmy can do so with a contribution in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association, Oregon Chapter via the donation website http://alzoregon.kintera.org/JimmyConwayDonation. Further biographical information on Jimmy and other details of the Testimonial activities can be found on the www.JimmyConway.com official website.
Celebrating 20 Years of Merlo Field
This season, the University of Portland is celebrating 20 years of playing on one of the finest pitches in the country. Built on the UP campus in 1990, Merlo Field instantly became one of the nation’s best collegiate soccer facilities. The facility has experienced several upgrades and expansion through the years and it remains one of the nation’s finest soccer environments.
Prior to Portland’s home game against Washington on Saturday, Sept. 18, the University will welcome back members of the 1990 men’s soccer team for a pre-game reception and a rematch of the first match ever played on Merlo Field. That first game took place on Sept. 23, 1990, when Washington defeated the Pilots 1-nil on a UP own-goal. Tickets for the upcoming game on Sept. 18 will be rolled back to 1990 prices.
The Show Stopper
Senior all-conference goalkeeper and three-year starter Austin Guerrero returns to his usual spot between the pipes for the Pilots this season. Guerrero, who is one of seven returning starters for the Pilots, enters his senior season fourth in UP program history in career saves per game (4.06), fifth in total saves (256), sixth in shutouts (16.0) and seventh in goals-against average (1.17). As a junior, Guerrero landed the All-WCC First Team after finishing second in the WCC in goals-against average (0.95), save percentage (.784) and saves (80) and third in shutouts (five). The native of Chula Vista, Calif., has earned all-league honors all three years on The Bluff, and he’s tied for the most career conference shutouts in league history, entering the season with six career blank sheets during WCC games.
Man in the Middle, and Up Top
Senior midfielder and 2009 All-WCC First Team selection Jarad vanSchaik is back to help lead Portland’s attack this fall. As a junior, vanSchaik led the Pilots and finished second in the WCC with eight assists. The Tualatin, Ore., native was fourth in the league in points (20) and tied for seventh in goals (6).
Senior forward Ryan Luke is Portland’s top returning goal scorer, after netting seven strikes last season, which ranked second on the team and in the WCC. Luke, a native of Bothell, Wash., earned all-league honorable mention as a junior.
WCC Coaches Preseason Poll & All-Conference Teams
In a wide-open West Coast Conference, the Portland Pilots were picked to finish second, narrowly missing the top spot in the 2010 WCC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. Seniors Austin Guerrero and Jarad vanSchaik and junior Ryan Kawulok were voted to the WCC’s Preseason All-Conference Team, giving the Pilots a league-high three selections.
Family Tradition
So how many Baarts does it take to make a college soccer team go? Apparently three, as incoming UP freshman Tyler Baarts joins his dad (Rob) and cousin (Justin) on the pitch this season.
Justin Baarts, a native of Surrey, B.C., is a sophomore goalkeeper in his second season with the Pilots. Assistant coach Rob Baarts, a former stand-out on the field for UP, is in his seventh year on the Pilot bench. Tyler, out of Portland’s Jesuit High School, is one of nine newcomers this season.
World Class
Former Portland Pilot stand-out Steve Cherundolo played in his third straight World Cup for the United States this summer, starting all five games for the Americans in South Africa. Cherundolo picked up an assist for the U.S., which was eliminated by a 2-1 loss to Ghana in the round of 16. Cherundolo, who starred at UP in 1997 and 1998, has been the long-time starting right back for the Americans and he’s currently a team captain for Hannover 96 (Bundesliga), where’s he played for 11 years.
Should Cherundolo play in the 2014 World Cup, he would match UP alum Kasey Keller for most appearances in a World Cup by a Portland Pilot.
