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Video Preview: The Pilot Report PORTLAND PILOTS (1-0-1) vs. FLORIDA GULF COAST EAGLES (1-0-0)Date: Thursday, September 4, 2014
Location: Fort Meyers, Fla.
Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. (Pacific)
Pitch: FGCU Soccer Complex
Live Video/Stats: FGCUAthletics.com POR vs. FGCUOverall Series: 0-0-1
Here: 0-0-1
There: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: @POR 1, FGCU 1 (2ot) - Sept. 2, 2011
PORTLAND PILOTS (1-0-1) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS (0-1-0)Date: Sunday, September 7, 2014
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Kickoff: 9:00 a.m. (Pacific)
Pitch: Corbett Soccer Stadium
Live Video ($): GoUSFBulls.comLive Stats: GoUSFBulls.com POR vs. USFOverall Series: 0-0-0
Here: 0-0-0
There: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: First Meeting
THIS WEEK • The Pilots embark on their first road trip of the 2014 season this week when they travel to the state of Florida to play the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and the South Florida Bulls.
• First the Pilots will be in Fort Meyers on Thursday to face the Eagles at 4 p.m. (Pacific).
• Then on Sunday, Portland travels to Tampa for a 9 a.m. match against the Bulls.
• This is the first meeting all-time with USF, while the Pilots and Eagles played to a 1-1 draw at Merlo Field in 2011 in their only previous contest.
LAST WEEK • The Pilots opened the season with a 1-0 win over the UCF Knights at the Nike Invitational last Friday night at Merlo Field.
• Sophomore Geoffrey Dunn scored his first collegiate goal in the 37th minute and freshman goalkeeper Paul Christensen made six saves to record his first career shutout in his first game as a Pilot.
• Against Evansville on Sunday, senior Steven Corbett gave the Pilots the lead with his first goal of the year in the 59th minute, but the Purple Aces were able to equalize in the 64th minute as the two teams played to a 1-1 draw.
• Corbett's goal came on a perfectly executed set piece when Derek Boggs flicked on a corner off the foot of Erik Edwardson; Corbett elevated to finish inside the far post with a header.
ABOUT THE PILOTS... • The Pilots received two votes in this week's NSCAA Poll.
• Freshman Erik Edwardson, who scored two goals during a 4-0 exhibition win over Linfield on Aug. 22, has assisted on both Portland goals this season.
• Sophomore Eddie Sanchez was named to the WCC Preseason All-Conference Team, while the Pilots were picked to finish third in a vote by the league's head coaches.
• Reigning league champ LMU received six-place votes and was chosen as the favorite to claim the WCC's top spot once again.
• UP features a sizeable roster as 13 newcomers joined 15 returning letterwinners.
• Sanchez was tops in the WCC last year in overall points (27), goals (12) and game-winners (4), and he ranked sixth nationally in goals per game (0.71), was 10th in points per game (1.59) and 13th in total goals.
• Sanchez registered a hat trick during a 4-1 win at Santa Clara on Oct. 20 becoming the first Pilot to score three goals in a game since 2003.
• He was named the 2013 WCC Freshman of the Year, landed on Soccer America's All-Freshman First Team and he was named to the All-WCC First Team.
• Fellow sophomore Matthew Coffey landed on the All-WCC Second Team and joined Sanchez on the all-freshman team, while senior Derek Boggs and junior Hugo Rhoads both earned all-league honorable mention.
• The Pilots featured the most prolific offense in the WCC in 2013, leading the way with 33 goals and an average of 1.75 goals per game; UP was second in total assists (27), assists per game (1.35), total points (97) and points per game (4.85).
• Portland has been to two College Cups (1988 & 1995) and has reached the NCAA Postseason 14 times.
• Head coach Bill Irwin notched career win No. 100 on Oct. 11 last season when the Pilots defeated San Diego 2-1 at Merlo Field; Irwin is in his 12th year at the helm of the UP men's soccer program and his 28th year overall on the Portland staff.
• Assistant coach Rob Baarts is in his 11th year on the Portland bench, while assistant coach Brandon McNeil is in his seventh year on the staff; both Baarts (1987-90) and McNeil (1998-2001) played at UP.
