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PORTLAND (1-1-0) • WASHINGTON (2-0-0)
WISCONSIN (1-1-0) • CSU BAKERSFIELD (0-0-1)
Date: Friday, Aug. 31, 2012
Location: Portland, Ore.
Stadium: Merlo Field (4,982)
Teams: UW vs. Wisconsin
Kick-off: 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
Teams: Portland vs. CSUB
Kick-off: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video/Audio: PilotsVideo.com
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
Overall Series:  0-1-0
Last: CSUB 2, @POR (ot) - August 31, 2007
 
Date: Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012
Location: Portland, Ore.
Stadium: Merlo Field (4,982)
Teams: UW vs. CSUB
Kick-off: 12:00 p.m.
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
Teams: Portland vs. Wisconsin
Kick-off: 2:30 p.m.
Live Video/Audio: PilotsVideo.com
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
Overall Series:  2-1-1
Last: POR 1, WISC 0 - Sept. 25, 2005 (@Seattle)
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS...
• The Pilots opened the season by splitting their two games at the Wilson Titan Classic last weekend in Fullerton, Calif.
• Portland dropped its opener 4-0 to Cal State Northridge on Friday before storming back to defeat host Cal State Fullerton 4-0 on Sunday.
• Junior midfielder Steven Evans had two goals during Sunday’s win and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week.
• Evans, sophomore midfielder Derek Boggs and senior defender Keith Grubisich were named to the all-tournament team in Fullerton.
• Evans was voted to the 2012 Preseason All-WCC Team and the Pilots were picked to finish third in a preseason poll of the league’s seven head coaches.
• Evans was a 2011 All-WCC First Team selection after leading Portland last season with a conference-best six goals and 17 points.
• The Pilots return 16 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that just missed the playoffs last fall with an 11-7-2 overall record (6-5-1 WCC).
• Boggs garnered WCC All-Freshman Team honors in 2011, while he and senior forward Ricardo Carrillo also earned All-WCC Honorable Mention.
• Junior goalkeeper Justin Baarts, who played every minute in goal for the Pilots last season, recorded his fourth career shutout on Sunday.
• Five of UP’s six newcomers are from the Portland metropolitan area.
• Director of Soccer Bill Irwin enters his 10th year as head coach of the Pilots and his 26th year overall with the program; he has 87 career wins to his credit.
• Portland has been to two College Cups (1988 & 1995) and has reached the NCAA Postseason 14 times.
 
THE 2012 NIKE INVITE
• 2012 marks the 22nd consecutive year in which the Pilots have hosted the Portland Invitational.
• Known as the Nike Invitational since 2002, the Pilots have won 10 tournament titles since the invitational’s inception in 1990 and claimed the 2010 title.
• The Washington Huskies, who have participated in every Portland Invitational save two, have won nine tourney crowns, including last season.
• Creighton (2005) and Virginia (2009) claimed the other two titles.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
• The majority of Portland’s non-conference schedule will take place on the road.
• The Pilots will follow the Nike Invite with trips to Evansville, Ind., for a tourney hosted by Evansville Sept. 7-9 and to Seattle for the annual Husky Fever Classic on Sept. 21-23.
• UP will open the WCC slate at home against Gonzaga on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
 
ONE WEEK IN THE BOOKS, ONE WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD ON THE SHELF
• Steven Evans was named the first WCC Player of the Week of the season after netting a pair of goals during Sunday’s win over Cal State Fullerton.
• Evans scored his first goal on Sunday in the 16th minute and gave the Pilots a 2-0 lead, while he scored his second goal on a PK in the second half to put the game out of reach.
• Evans was also named to the all-tournament team in Fullerton, and he finished with eight shots during Portland’s two games, five of which were on-goal.
 
THE COUNTRY’S #1 FANS
• The Pilots have ranked in the top 15 in home attendance nationally in 13 of the past 17 years, including posting the nation’s top attendance in 1996.
• Last season, Portland was 24th in the country with total attendance of 8,894 and a per game average of 1,111.
• The Pilots have posted an all-time record of 127-48-18 (.705) at the friendly confines.
 
WCC COACHES POLL
• Portland junior midfielder Steven Evans was voted to the 2012 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team and the Pilots were picked to finish third in a preseason poll of the league’s seven head coaches.
• The San Diego Toreros were selected to win the 2012 WCC men’s soccer championship this season.
• Evans, who was 2011 All-WCC First Team selection after leading Portland last season with a conference-best six goals and 17 points, is one of 16 returning letterwinners and eight starters for the Pilots.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
• Last season 10 different players scored a goal for the Pilots; this season, Portland returns seven of those 10 players, including Steven Evans who led the team and the conference with six goals.
• Additionally, seven different players accounted for UP’s eight game-winners, with Evans registering a team-best three.
• Evans and returning senior Colin Anderson tied for the team high last fall with five assists each, which tied for fourth best in the WCC.
 
PILOTS IN THE MLS
• The Portland Timbers selected defender Ryan Kawulok with the eighth pick of Major League Soccer’s 2012 Supplemental Draft in January.
• Kawulok, who started all 82 games during his four-year UP career and received conference honors all four years, is one of six Portland alums currently on an MLS roster, joining Logan Emory (Toronto FC), Heath Pearce & Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls), Connor Casey (Colorado Rapids) and Collen Warner (Montreal).
• Former UP defender Steve Cherundolo has also enjoyed a lengthy career with Hannover 96 of Germany’s Bundesliga, and he has 84 career caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
• The Pilots are slated for one national television appearance this season, which will happen when they travel to Santa Clara for a WCC match on Oct. 26.
• Fox Soccer Channel (Ch. 800 on Comcast Digital Cable in the Portland Metro Area) is set to broadcast the 7:00 p.m. match live.
 
GAMECENTRAL IS BACK & BETTER THAN EVER
• UP’s popular GameCentral is back and better than ever, and it’s available for every home game this season.
• GameCentral is a free portal via PortlandPilots.com that offers live video, live audio and live stats all on the same page; you can also access GameCentral directly by visiting PilotsVideo.com.
• The internet broadcast rivals that of any college program in the country and it features a four-camera production, instant replays, in-game live and taped interviews and on-screen graphics.
• You can also access UP’s GameCentral via your Smartphone.