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at Grand Canyon:  Video  Stats  I  vs. UC Irvine:  Video  Stats
Tickets  I  Promotions
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (4-3-1, 0-0-0 WCC)
WEEK 5: at Grand Canyon / vs. UC Irvine
 
Grand Canyon Antelopes (3-4-0, 0-0-0 WAC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Sept. 22, 2016
Location: Phoenix, Ariz.
Time: 7:00 PM
Pitch: GCU Stadium
Video: GCULopes.com
Stats: GCULopes.com
 
POR vs. GCU
Overall Series: 0-1-0
H: 0-1-0  •  A: 0-0-0  •  N: 0-0-0
Last: GCU 4, @POR 1 (9/4/2015)
 
UC Irvine Anteaters (1-6-0, 0-0-0 Big West)
Day: Sunday
Date: Sept. 25, 2016
Location: Portland, Ore.
Time: 3:00 PM
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. UCI
Overall Series: 1-1-0
H: 0-0-0  •  A: 1-0-0  •  N: 0-1-0
Last: UCI 3, POR 2 (9/26/2004 @Seattle)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots travel to Phoenix, Ariz., this week for a Thursday night match at Grand Canyon before returning to The Bluff to host UC Irvine on Sunday afternoon.
• Kickoff for the Pilots and Antelopes at GCU Stadium is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific) and live video and stats will be provided at GCULopes.com.
• The Pilots and Anteaters are scheduled to play at 3 p.m. at Merlo Field, and a live video stream (TheW.tv) and live stats are (PortlandPilots.com) are available.
 
LAST WEEK
• The road weary Pilots dropped a pair of hard-fought matches in the Sacramento area last weekend.
• First on Thursday, the Sacramento State Hornets scored the game-winner in the 90th minute to stun the Pilots 2-1 at Hornet Field.
• Portland freshman Benji Michel had previously given the Pilots a 1-0 lead in the first half when he finished with a header on a ball sent in by Eric de Graaf.
• The Hornets equalized in the 73rd minute, and Alex Bettencourt put away a rebound with only 45 seconds left in regulation after Portland keeper Paul Christensen made a stellar diving save on the initial shot.
• Then on Sunday at UC Davis, the Aggies scored the game's only goal on a penalty in the 65th minute to hand the Pilots a 1-0 loss.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS...
• These are Portland's final tune-ups before opening play in the West Coast Conference at Gonzaga on Sunday, Oct. 9.
• The Pilots received four votes in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll released on Sept. 12.
• Portland entered last weekend riding a five-game unbeaten streak (4 wins, 1 tie), which was the program's longest such streak since the Pilots won six straight in 2011.
• Eddie Sanchez had quite the weekend in Evansville, Ind. (Sept. 9-11), scoring two goals and ending up on SportsCenter as the Pilots won the 2016 ProRehab Aces Classic.
• Sanchez also was named the WCC's Player of the Week, he nabbed the tourney's offensive MVP award and he was voted to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week.
• Sanchez, who landed All-WCC First Team accolades a year ago, was selected to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team for the third straight year prior to the season.
• Center back Lionel Mills was the ProRehab Ace's Classic Defensive MVP, and both he and Sanchez were joined on the all-tourney team by Benji Michel and Matthew Coffey.
• Previously, the Pilots were co-champions at the 2016 Nike Invitational (Sept. 2-4), and Coffey was named the tournament's defensive MVP.
• Coffey, Erik Edwardson, Paul Christensen and Geoffrey Dunn were all named to Nike Invitational's All-Tournament Team.
• Sophomore Jackson Jellah played a part in Portland's first five goals of the season, which included beginning the year with three straight goals; Jellah scored one goal against Wright State and he netted a pair during a 2-1 win over DePaul; he then assisted on UP's two goals against No. 25 Ohio State.
• Jellah is tied for tops in the WCC in points (8) and goals (3); he entered the year with just an assist to his credit.
• 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.
• The Pilots feature a sizeable group of 23 returning letterwinners and 10 returning starters.
• 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, Nate Jaqua, 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 Postseason.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Lopes split their two games at home last weekend, defeating IUPUI and falling to Pacific.
• Grand Canyon has outscored their opponents 9-7 and junior forward Niki Jackson leads the WAC in goals with five; senior goalkeeper Kendyl Day has a GAA of 0.99 and he's posted two shutouts.
• Schellas Hyndman, who has previous stints as head coach of FC Dallas (MLS), SMU and Eastern Illinois, is in his second season at the helm of Grand Canyon.
• Sunday's match marks the third against a WCC opponent for UC Irvine this season, with the Anteaters previously dropping matches to LMU and Santa Clara.
• Four different Anteaters have accounted for UC Irvine's four goals this season, and senior keeper Elliot Farmer has spent the majority of minutes in goal, posting a GAA of 2.08.
• Previously a long-time assistant at UCI, Chris Volk is in his third year as head coach; he led the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2014.