PORTLAND, Ore. --- In a season destined to go down as one of the best turnarounds in collegiate soccer history, Portland's first-year head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt helped guide the Pilots back to the NCAA Playoffs, while collecting a West Coast Conference title along the way. It's hard to fathom, but the Pilots won just one WCC game during the past two seasons combined.
 
The Pilots quickly put their recent past in the review mirror as Carlin-Voigt came in and got right to work, assembling the nation's 17th-ranked recruiting class. Combining the heralded newcomers with Portland's sizable group of experienced returners, and it was apparent early that something special was brewing on The Bluff.
 
3,892 fans, which is the fourth largest crowd in Merlo Field history, flocked to the University of Portland for the season opener, and soon the Pilot faithful had something to cheer about as the men's side started compiling wins. The regular season featured a seven-game winning streak, which is the program's longest winning streak since 1995, and the Pilots found themselves among the nation's leaders with a potent offense. During a four-game stretch (Sept. 22 - Oct. 14) the Pilots scored 15 goals, which was the most goals scored during a four-game span since Portland collected 17 goals over four contests in 1999.
 
The Pilots also registered three straight blank sheets at one point, producing a 315-minute stretch of not allowing a goal.
 
Portland carried their momentum from the non-conference portion of their schedule into the WCC, and the Pilots won their first five games against league opponents. The 5-0-0 start in the WCC matched the legendary 1988 Portland squad for the best start to a conference schedule in program history.
 
Excitement continued to build as the Pilots had a WCC title within sight, and the fall culminated on an electric night at Merlo Field as Saint Mary's visited The Bluff on the final night of the regular season. A win meant a league championship for the Pilots, and in front of 4,362 fans and a regional television audience, Portland came through with a thrilling 1-0 win, sparking a wild celebration never seen before on the historic pitch.
 
The crowd was the second largest ever, and most of them rushed onto the field to celebrate with the team as the Pilots hoisted the WCC trophy into the air for the first time since 2002. The win also meant a return to the post-season for the Pilots, who hadn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2009.
 
The first-round draw wasn't ideal for Portland as the Pilots were shipped to Albuquerque for a match-up with the always dangerous New Mexico Lobos. Making it even more difficult was the absence of WCC Player of the Year Eddie Sanchez due to yellow card accumulation, but the visitors from Soccer City out-played their hosts, and by the end of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods it was clear who the better side was.
 
But 110 minutes wasn't enough as the Pilots and Lobos battled to a 0-0 draw before heading to a penalty shootout, and that's when junior goalkeeper Paul Christensen produced perhaps one of the most clutch performances in program history. The Lobos had three chances to clinch the shootout with a made PK, but all three times Christensen denied the home side, extending the Pilots season each time. And just when it appeared the Pilots might prevail, the Lobos survived and advanced.
 
The season brought with it a plethora of accomplishments and individual accolades as the Pilots nearly swept the annual WCC post-season awards. Sanchez was named the league's player of the year, becoming the first Pilot to do so since 2002. Christensen nabbed the goalkeeper of the year honor, Carlin-Voigt was named co-coach of the year, and the always electrifying Benji Michel, who led the league in goals, was voted the WCC's top freshman.
 
Portland also returned to its rightful spot among the nation's leaders in attendance as the best fans in the country swarmed to Merlo Field to witness history. In the end, nearly 2,500 fans showed up per game to support a remarkable team and a Pilot Revolution.
 
2016 University of Portland Men's Soccer Milestones
Team
• Won first WCC Championship since 2002
• Reached NCAA Postseason for first time since 2009
• Posted most wins (12) since 2009
• 6-1 conference mark is the best since 1989; this came after the program only won one WCC game the previous two seasons combined
• Worst to First: Pilots went 1-12-1 in the WCC during the last two years
• Largest turnaround in college soccer that resulted in conference championship (3 wins to 12)
• Hero Sports Break out Teams of the Year: http://herosports.com/news/d1-mens-soccer-breakout-teams-2016
• Nearly swept West Coast Conference honors, as Eddie Sanchez was named WCC Player of the Year, Benji Michel was the league's freshman of the year, Paul Christensen was selected as goalkeeper of the year, and Nick Carlin-Voigt was tabbed as the co-coach of the year
• 13th nationally in goals per game (1.89) and 21st in total goals (36)
• Flipped goals for and against from 2015 to 2016: In 2015 team scored 19 goals and allowed 36, while in 2016 the Pilots scored 36 and allowed 18
• Top offensive and defensive team in the conference
• Growth by numbers:
                -Went from worst team in the conference defensively to the best; in 2015 Pilots allowed 17 WCC goals and only let in 4 WCC goals in 2016
                - Had best GAA in the conference at 0.95 in 2016 and worst in 2015
                -went from worst team in the conference offensively to the best; in WCC play went from 8 to 15 WCC goals in 2016, and scored a conference-best 36 goals overall in 2016
• 10th in the country in average attendance (2,298)
• The 5-0-0 start in the WCC matches the legendary 1988 Portland squad for the best start to a conference schedule
• Won seven straight matches during the season, which is the program's longest winning streak since 1995
• Reached as high as No. 20 in the Top Drawer Soccer National Rankings
• Beat nationally ranked Ohio State, who was No. 25 in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll
• During a four-game stretch (Sept. 22 - Oct. 14) the Pilots scored 15 goals, which was the most goals scored during a four-game span since Portland collected 17 goals over four contests in 1999
 
Individual
• Head Coach Nick Carlin-Voigt:
                - WCC Coach of the Year
                - Program's first league coach of the year since Clive Charles in 2002
 
• Senior Eddie Sanchez:
                - WCC Player of the Year, All-WCC First Team
                - NSCAA All-Far West Region First Team
                - Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Third Team
                - First Pilot invited to MLS Player Combine since 2009 (Collen Warner)
 
• Freshman Benji Michel:
                - Led the West Coast Conference in goals (10), points (24), goals per game (0.53), and points per game (1.26)
                - WCC Freshman of the Year, All-WCC First Team, WCC All-Freshman Team
                - NSCAA All-Far West Region Third Team
                - Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI
                - Named to the College Soccer News All-Freshman Team, becoming first Pilot turn earn that distinction since Nate Jaqua in 2000.
 
• Junior Paul Christensen:
                - WCC Goalkeeper of the Year
                - program's first keeper to ever earn the league's top award, which was implemented a few years ago.
                - All-WCC Second Team
               
• Junior Kris Reaves:
                - NSCAA All-Far West Region Third Team
                - All-WCC First Team
 
• More All-WCC:
                - Junior Matthew Coffey (Honorable Mention), sophomore Lionel Mills (Honorable Mention), freshman Gio Magana-Rivera (all-freshman team)
 
• WCC All-Academic:
                - Senior Conor Johnston (First Team), junior Paul Christensen (Honorable Mention), junior Matthew Coffey (Honorable Mention), senior Geoffrey Dunn (Honorable Mention), senior Dirk van der Velde (Honorable Mention)