Friday • Sept. 24 • 4:30 p.m. • Seattle, Wash. (Husky Soccer Stadium - 1,500)
Live Stats: GoHuskies.com
Series: Tied 0-0-1
Last Meeting: POR 3, UCD 3 (2ot) - Sept. 9, 2007 @ Davis, Calif.
Pilots (2-1-2) at Seattle (2-3-1)
Sunday • Sept. 26 • 4:00 p.m. • Seattle, Wash. (Championship Field- 650)
Live Stats: GoSeattleU.com
Series: POR leads 18-5-0
Last Meeting: POR 4, SU 2 - Nov. 12, 2009 @ Portland
This Week in Pilots Soccer...
The 24th-ranked Portland Pilots (2-1-2) will make their annual trek to the Emerald City this weekend for the 2010 Husky Fever Classic, hosted by the University of Washington in Seattle. On Friday, UP opens with a 4:30 p.m. tilt against the UC Davis Aggies (2-4-0) at Husky Soccer Stadium. Then on Sunday, the Pilots will face the Seattle Redhawks (2-3-1) at 4:00 p.m. at Championship Field on the SU campus.
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.
A Brief Look Back
The Washington Huskies handed the Pilots their first loss of the season during a constant downpour on Saturday night at Merlo Field. UW scored twice in the first half and twice in the second for the 4-1 win. Down 2-0 in the 84th minute, UP freshman Steven Evans made a run into the left side of the box and put a firm shot to the far post. Washington keeper Stephen Fung made the initial save, but Portland senior Ryan Luke put away the rebound to cut the deficit in half. But Washington responded with another goal 63 seconds later before tallying the final score in the 88th minute.
Previously, the Pilots made it two straight wins at New Mexico with a 2-1 victory over the No. 22 Lobos on Sunday. UP defender Ryan Kawulok scored the game winner in the 89th minute. Kawulok’s strike was one of just four shots from the Pilots, who got the equalizer from Jarad vanSchaik in the 55th minute. Evans assisted on both goals. The Pilots also defeated the Lobos 2-1 last November in the first round of the NCAA playoffs in Albuquerque.
Scouting UC Davis
The Aggies lost both of their matches at the Oregon State Nike Classic last weekend in Corvallis. The host Beavers topped the Aggies 3-2 on Friday before Seattle picked up a 1-0 victory on Sunday.
Junior midfielder Lance Patterson leads UC Davis with four goals and one assist this season. His nine points are a team-high. The Aggies have used three goalkeepers this fall, with senior Ryan McCowan logging the most starts minutes. McCowan has a GAA of 2.88, while UC Davis is allowing 1.64 goals per game.
Dwayne Shaffer is in his 14th season as head coach of the Aggies. UC Davis returned 16 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that was 6-12-1 (3-6-1 Big West) last year.
Pilots/Aggies Series
The Pilots and Aggies tied 3-3 during their only previous meeting in 2007 in Davis, Calif.
Scouting Seattle
The Redhawks picked up a pair of 1-0 wins last weekend at the Oregon State Nike Classic. Junior midfielder Sean Morris scored the game-winner against Central Arkansas on Friday, while freshman forward Brady Ballew picked up Sunday’s game-winner against UC Davis.
Junior midfielder Kyle Peterman leads the team with two goals and four points, while the Redhawks have been outscored 10-6 on the season. Senior goalkeeper Ivan Dizdar has played every minute in goal, boasting two shutouts and a goals against average of 1.61.
Head coach Brad Agoos is in his fifth season at the helm of the Redhawks. Seattle went 4-12-1 last year and returned 14 letterwinners and seven starters this season.
Pilots/Redhawks Series
Portland owns an 18-5-0 advantage over Seattle in the all-time series, which dates back to 1977. Last season, Jarad vanSchaik scored a goal and added two assists as the Pilots scored three unanswered second-half goals to defeat the Redhawks 4-2 at Merlo Field.
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 last Saturday, the University welcomed back members of the 1990 men’s soccer team for a pre-game ceremony. The night marked the rematch of the first match ever played on Merlo Field, which took place on Sept. 23, 1990, when Washington defeated the Pilots 1-nil on a UP own-goal.
The Polls
The Pilots entered the season ranked in all four major national polls and are currently ranked in three of the polls. Portland is ranked No. 24 by College Soccer News and No. 25 by both Soccer America and Soccer Times, while receiving votes in the NSCAA rankings. UP was No. 19 in NSCAA’s preseason poll, which was the highest of all four preseason rankings. Last week, the Pilots reached 15th in the NSCAA poll for their highest ranking to date this season.
Here We Go...
Portland junior defender Ryan Kawulok, who scored the game-winning goal during Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 win at No. 22 New Mexico, became the first UP player this season to be named the WCC’s Player of the Week. Kawulok was also named the New Mexico Invitational’s Defensive MVP after helping the Pilots to a win and a draw in Albuquerque.
With the score tied 1-1 with less than two minutes to play against the Lobos, Kawulok put away the game-winner on a rebound, sending Portland to the win. His goal in the 89th minute was his first of the season. Both of Kawulok’s shots against New Mexico were on-goal. The native of Fort Collins, Colo., also tallied a pair of shots during Portland’s 3-3 tie with Denver on Friday.
Kawulok, senior Jarad vanSchaik and freshman Steven Evans were selected to the all-tournament team.
The Distributor
Despite still searching for his first collegiate goal, Portland freshman midfielder Steven Evans is making an obvious impact on the pitch for the Pilots this season. The Portland native out of Central Catholic High School leads the team and the WCC with four assists, which rank fourth in the nation. Evans, who assisted on both of Portland’s goals during a 2-1 win at No. 24 New Mexico on Sept. 12, was named to the UNM Invitational’s All-Tournament Team following UP’s 1-0-1 performance in Albuquerque.
Evans came to The Bluff already accustomed to winning, picking up two titles during the summer of 2010. First, Evans and his Eastside Club team (Liverpool) became the first club team from Oregon since 1993 (FC Portland) to win a national title. Evans then returned to help the Portland Timbers U-23’s cap a perfect season (20-0-0) by winning the USL’s Premier Development League championship.
Cool Hand Luke
Senior forward Ryan Luke is already making the most of his final season on The Bluff. On Sunday, Sept. 5, Luke scored both UP goals as the Pilots defeated No. 30 Evansville 2-1 to win the 2010 Nike Invitational at Merlo Field. Luke scored with a header in the first half, while his second-half goal was on a terrific finish. On a perfect feed from junior Michael Nielsen, Luke went airborne near the right post for a side-bike volley that found the far left corner of the net. In the 89th minute, the native of native of Bothell, Wash., nearly had his first career hat trick, but his shot off of a through ball from senior Vlastimir Davidovic was wide left in the 89th minute.
Luke currently leads the team and is tied for tops in the WCC with three goals this fall. He was Portland’s top returning goal scorer after netting seven strikes last season, which ranked second on the team and in the WCC. Luke earned all-league honorable mention as a junior.
vanSchaik ‘n Bake
Senior and 2009 All-WCC First Team selection Jarad vanSchaik is providing steady veteran’s leadership at the attacking midfield spot this fall. vanSchaik, who was named to the All-WCC Preseason Team, already has goal and one assist this season.
As a junior, he 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).
The Show Stopper
Senior All-Conference goalkeeper and four-year starter Austin Guerrero has picked up right where he left off last season, stifling opposing strikers. Guerrero has one shutout this season and he came up with two clutch saves down the stretch to preserve UP’s 2-1 win over No. 30 Evansville on Sept. 5. During the 0-0 tie with Northern Illinois on Sept. 3, Guerrero made four saves for his 17th career shutout.
Guerrero currently ranks fourth in UP program history in saves (284), sixth in shutouts and ninth in goals-against average (1.20). 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.
Family Tradition
So how many Baarts does it take to make a college soccer team go? Apparently three, as UP freshman defender 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.
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.
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.
www.PortlandPilots.com/KrausBlog
Visit it, bookmark it, you won’t be disappointed. Senior defender and team co-captain Alex Kraus has volunteered his services as the Pilots’ blogger this season. Kraus will give a unique, in-depth look at the UP soccer program, while also posting photos and videos. Fans can also send questions and comments to Alex, so make sure to visit the blog all season long!
