Complete Release (pdf)

PORTLAND PILOTS (2-2-1, 0-0-0 WCC)
at SEATTLE REDHAWKS (1-4-0, 0-0-0 MPSF)
Date: Friday, Sept. 21, 2012
Location: Seattle, Wash.
Kick-off: 4:00 p.m.
Pitch: Championship Field (650) at Seattle University
Live Video/Audio: N/A
Live Stats: GoSeattleU.com
 
POR vs. SU
Overall Series: 18-5-1
Here: 12-4-0
There: 6-1-1
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: POR 1, @SU 1 (2ot) - Sept. 18, 2010
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (2-2-1, 0-0-0 WCC)
vs. #21 BROWN BEARS (5-1-0, 0-0-0 IVY)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012
Location: Seattle, Wash.
Kick-off: 3:00 p.m.
Pitch: Husky Soccer Stadium (1,640) at University of Washington
Live Video/Audio: N/A
Live Stats: GoHuskies.com
 
POR vs. BU
Overall Series: 0-0-0
Here: 0-0-0
There: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: N/A
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS...
• The Pilots head to Seattle, Wash., this week for two games at the Husky Classic.
• On Friday, the Pilots will face the Seattle Redhawks at Seattle U’s Championship Field at 4 p.m.; Portland will then battle No. 21 Brown at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Husky Soccer Stadium on the University of Washington campus.
• Portland has not played since a 4-1 set-back to Bradley in Evansville, Ind., on Sept. 9; the Pilots were suppose to play two matches in Evansville, but their game against the Evansville Purple Aces was cancelled due to thunder and lightning storms on Sept. 7.
• Steven Evans has been named the WCC’s Player of the Week twice this season, and he was named the league’s player of the month for August; Evans scored four goals during the month to help the Pilots post a 2-1-0 record.
• 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 returned 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).
• Sophomore Derek Boggs garnered WCC All-Freshman Team honors in 2011, while he and senior Ricardo Carrillo also earned All-WCC Honorable Mention.
• Five of UP’s six newcomers are from the Portland metropolitan area.
• Director of Soccer Bill Irwin is in his 10th year as head coach of the Pilots and his 26th year overall with the program; he has 88 career wins to his credit.
• Portland has been to two College Cups (1988 & 1995) and has reached the NCAA Postseason 14 times.
 
A RARE RAIN OUT
• The Pilots ran into some inclement weather recently when they travelled to Evansville, Ind., for the Purple Aces Classic.
• On Friday, Sept. 7, thunder, lightning and a heavy downpour bought Portland’s match with Evansville to a halt after 23 minutes of action.
• The game was finally cancelled after a lengthy delay.
• According to NCAA rules, the game does not count, and all of the stats to that point are nullified.
 
3 OUT 4 AIN’T BAD
• So far this season, the West Coast Conference has handed out four individual awards, and Portland junior midfielder Steven Evans has claimed three of them.
• Most recently, Evans was named the WCC’s Player of the Month for August after scoring a league-best four goals during the month, helping the Pilots to a 2-1-0 record.
• Evans was also named the league’s player of the week on Sept. 3 after also garnering Nike Invitational Offensive MVP honors during the previous weekend.
• Previously, Evans scored twice during a 4-0 win at Cal State Fullerton (Aug. 26) to grab the league’s first player of the week award of the season.
 
IT’S STILL EARLY, BUT...
• It’s still early in the season, but the Pilots already find themselves leading or are near the top of the WCC in most offensive categories.
• Portland is tops in the WCC in shots (83), goals per game (1.60), assists (6) and assists per game (1.20) and is second in points (22) and goals (8).
• Individually, Steven Evans leads the league in points (8), points per game (1.60), goals (4) and goals per game (.80) and is second in shots (19).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
• This weekend marks the final two non-conference games for the Pilots this season.
• Portland follows its trip to Seattle with a pair of WCC matches next week at Merlo Field.
• On Wednesday night, the Gonzaga Bulldogs visit for a 7 p.m. match; San Francisco then comes to town for a 7 p.m. tilt on Friday night.
 
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 128-48-19 (.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.
 
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).
• Additionally, 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 and on-screen graphics.
• You can also access UP’s GameCentral via your Smartphone.