Complete Release (pdf)
vs. Wright State: Video  Stats
vs. DePaul: Video  Stats
Tickets  I  Promotions
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WCC)
vs. WRIGHT STATE (0-0-0, 0-0-0 HORIZON)
Date: Friday, Aug. 26, 2016
Location: Portland, Ore.
Kick-off: 7:30 p.m.
Pitch: Merlo Field (4,892)
TV: CSN-NW (delayed until 10 p.m.)
Online Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. WSU
Overall Series: 0-0-0
Here: 0-0-0
There: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: First Meeting          
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WCC)
vs. DePAUL BLUE DEMONS (0-0-0, 0-0-0 BIG EAST)
Date: Friday, August 28, 2016
Location: Portland, Ore.
Kick-off: 5:00 p.m.
Pitch: Merlo Field (4,852)
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. DU
Overall Series: 1-0-0
Here: 1-0-0
There: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
Last: @POR 6, DU 0 (Aug. 31, 2004)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots officially open the Nick Carlin-Voigt era as Portland hosts Wright State and DePaul in a pair of non-conference games at Merlo Field this weekend.
• First on Friday, the Pilots and Raiders will square off at 7:30 p.m. at Merlo Field; the game is part of a UP soccer double header and will follow the women's match vs. PSU.
• The UP-WSU game will also be shown on tape delay in the Portland area on Comcast SportsNet, with the broadcast scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.
• On Sunday, kickoff for the Pilots and Blue Demons is set for 5 p.m., and both games this weekend are part of Oregon State's Hensor/Zaher Classic.
 
FRIDAY NIGHT FESTIVITIES
• Friday night should be an epic night on The Bluff as the University of Portland welcomes all new students to campus for orientation.
• In addition to what should be one of the largest crowds of the year at Merlo Field, the festive night will also include the 8th Annual Bite on The Bluff, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. in the Chiles Center Plaza adjacent to the soccer stadium.
• This year's Bite, which is always a fan favorite, will feature local food vendors Voodoo Doughnuts, Churros Locos!, Koi Fusion, TNT Kettlecorn, Dano's Dogs, The Hot Box, Moberi, Aybla Grill, Taste Buds, Bunk Sandwiches and Thrive.
• This year's Bite on The Bluff will also feature a Pilot Club Beer Garden.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS...
• The Pilots are under the guidance of first-year head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt, who was hired to lead the program in January; Carlin-Voigt spent the past four years as the associate head coach for the UCLA Bruins.
• With the Bruins, he helped put together the nation's number one recruiting class in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and in 2014 he helped lead the Bruins to the No. 1 ranking nationally and to the NCAA College Cup Championship.
• Joining Carlin-Voigt on the bench are new assistant coaches Leonard Griffin, who came with Carlin-Voigt from UCLA, and UP alum Logan Emory, who spent time with Toronto FC of the MLS after graduating from Portland in 2009.
• Volunteer assistant coach Emerson De Oliveira and undergraduate assistant coach Steven Evans, a former Pilot standout, complete the staff.
• Senior Eddie Sanchez was selected to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team for the third straight year.
• Sanchez landed All-WCC First Team accolades a year ago and he's part of a sizeable group of 23 returning letterwinners and 10 returning starters for the Pilots.
• Junior Brandon Zambrano also landed All-WCC accolades (Honorable Mention) a year ago, as did sophomores Reid Baez and Lionel Mills, who were on the league's all-freshman team.
• Portland features a group of nine newcomers, who were tabbed as the No. 17 recruiting class in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
• The group of newcomers includes five freshmen who played for MLS Academy teams, and a pair of transfers who both came to the Rose City from the ACC; Malcolm Dixon is a sophomore forward who spent one year at Virginia, while Kris Reaves is a center back who began his career with two years at Wake Forest.
• The Pilots claim renowned men's soccer alums Kasey Keller, Steve Cherundolo, Conor Casey, Heath Pearce, and reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Luis Robles.
 • In 1988, legendary coach Clive Charles led Keller and the Pilots to the school's first ever NCAA College Cup.
• Portland has been to two NCAA College Cups ('88 & '95) and has made 14 trips to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championships.
• The Pilots set a men's soccer program record last season with an attendance of 4,596 at the game with then-No. 9 Michigan State (Aug. 28) at Merlo Field; the record crowd featured a 2,303 students, which represents 55.3 percent of the student body.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Raiders have won 24 games during the past two seasons and have advanced to the Horizon League Championship game both years.
• The Raiders, who went 12-8-1 last season, return 11 of 15 goal scorers from last year, including First Team All-Horizon League forwards Peguy Ngatcha and Eric Lynch.
• Head coach Bryan Davis enters his eighth year with Wright State.
• DePaul returns 15 letterwinners and five starters from a team that was 5-13-1 (4-4-1 Big East) in 2015.
• Senior Simon Megally, a Preseason All-Big East Team selection, led the team last year with six goals.
• Craig Blazer is in his 16th year as head coach of the Blue Demons, who were picked to finish ninth in the Big East.