Pilots Hit the Road to Open the WCC Schedule

PORTLAND PILOTS (5-3-0, 0-0-0 WCC)
at SAN FRANCISCO DONS (3-3-1, 0-0-0 WCC)
Date: Friday, October 4, 2013
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Pitch: Negoesco Stadium (3,000)
Live Video (free) & Stats: USFDons.com

POR vs. USF
Overall Series: 17-20-4
Here: 11-6-0
There: 10-5-4
Neutral: 1-0-0
Last: POR 0, @USF 0 (2ot) - Nov. 11, 2012

PORTLAND PILOTS (5-3-0, 0-0-0 WCC)
at SAINT MARY'S GAELS (2-4-2, 0-0-0 WCC)
Date: Sunday, October 6, 2013
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m.
Pitch: Saint Mary's Stadium (5,500)
Live Video ($$$): SMCGaels.com
Live Stats: SMCGaels.com

POR vs. SMC
Overall Series: 24-9-4
Here: 14-4-0
There: 9-5-4
Neutral: 1-0-0
Last: @SMC 3, POR 2 - Oct. 28, 2012

THIS WEEK
• The Pilots open their WCC schedule with a pair of road games in the Bay Area.
• First on Friday the Pilots will be in San Francisco to face the Dons at 7 p.m. at Negoesco Stadium; USF claims a slim 20-17-4 advantage in the all-time series.
• On Sunday, Portland will head to Moraga for a 2 p.m. match against the Saint Mary's Gaels at Saint Mary's Stadium; the Pilots are 24-9-4 all-time against the Gaels.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The Pilots have won four of their last five games, posting three shutouts and outscoring their opponents 12-2 during that stretch.
• Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Jason Dodson is the reigning WCC Player of the Week after making six saves during a 3-0 shutout at home over SMU on Sunday.
• Sophomore midfielder Jaime Velasco was named to the National Team of the Week (Sept. 23) by College Soccer News after a two-goal performance against Oregon State on Sept. 19.
• Junior midfielder Michael Escobar was named the WCC's Player of the Week by College Sports Madness following his one-goal, three-assist performance (Sept. 13-15) during wins over Air Force and Seattle.
• Eight different Pilots (Corbett, Escobar, Iwasaki, Liberator, Munger, Rhoads, Sanchez, Velasco) have combined to score Portland's 16 goals this season, while seven different Pilots (Caprio, Coffey, Corbett, Escobar, Rhoads, Sanchez, Velasco) have registered an assist.
• Junior Derek Boggs was named to the West Coast Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, while the Pilots were picked sixth in a tight vote by the league's head coaches.
• Five different teams received a first place vote and just 13 points separate first-place choice Santa Clara and the Pilots.
• Portland features a bevy of newcomers as 10 players total are in their first season with the Pilots.
• Portland has been to two College Cups (1988 & 1995) and has reached the NCAA Postseason 14 times.
• The Pilots are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009; redshirt-senior goalkeeper Justin Baarts is the lone remaining player from that team.
• Head coach and Director of Soccer Bill Irwin is in his 11th year at the helm of the UP men's soccer program and he is just two wins shy of career win No. 100; Irwin is in his 27th year overall on the Portland staff.

#100
• Head coach and UP Director of Soccer Bill Irwin enters the weekend with a chance to reach a major career milestone as he currently has 98 career wins.
• Irwin, who is in his 27th year overall on the UP staff, is in his 11th year at the helm of the program and he's compiled an overall record of 98-81-31.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• This weekend marks the beginning of play in the West Coast Conference, and Saint Mary's will host Gonzaga on Friday afternoon before playing the Pilots on Sunday.
• The Gaels (2-4-2) have not won a game since a 2-0 victory over LIU-Brooklyn on Sept. 1.
• The Dons (3-3-1) are coming off a pair of losses last weekend.
• USF has outscored its opponents 7-6 this year, while the Gaels have been outscored 8-11.

LEADING THE WAY
• Portland leads the WCC in goals (16) and assists (15) and is tied for the league high with four shutouts.
• Eddie Sanchez and Jaime Velasco are tied for the conference lead in goals with four each and they rank first and second in points with 11 and nine, respectively.
• Sanchez and Michael Escobar are tied for second in assists (3), while goalkeeper Jason Dodson is first in GAA (0.00) and saves percentage (1.000) and ranks second in shutouts (3).
• As a team, Portland is 21st in the nation in goals per game (2.00) and is 24th in points per game (5.88)

CELEBRATING THE '88 COLLEGE CUP
• During the weekend of Sept. 13-15 UP celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the men's trip to the 1988 College Cup, which was the first Final Four visit in program history.
• That team, which was coached by Clive Charles and featured Kasey Keller, Rob Baarts and Garrett Smith, went through the regular season undefeated before succumbing to eventual national champion and College Cup host Indiana 1-0 in the semi's.
• Members from the '88 squad were on hand for a half-time celebration during the men's game against Seattle.

WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Jason Dodson was named the WCC Player of the Week after the Pilots blanked SMU 3-0 last Sunday afternoon.
• Dodson is the first league player of the week this season for the Pilots, who ended their non-conference slate by winning four of their last five matches.
• Dodson made six saves on Sunday and withstood 15 shots from the Mustangs to register his third shutout of the season.
• Dodson has yet to allow a goal in 293 minutes and all three of his starts between the pipes this fall have resulted in shutouts.

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR
• The Baarts trio is back for their final season on the same bench.
• Assistant coach Rob Baarts' son Tyler is in his senior year as a defender with the Pilots, while Rob's nephew and Tyler's cousin Justin is a redshirt-senior goalkeeper.
• New to the Portland roster this year are freshmen twin brothers Conor and Rory Johnston, who came to The Bluff from Sonoma, Calif.
• Conor is a defender, while Rory plays in the midfield.

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