PORTLAND PILOTS (5-10-1, 2-4-0 WCC)
WEEK 11: vs. San Diego / BYU
 
San Diego Toreros (6-9-0, 4-1-0 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Oct. 26, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. USD
Overall Series: 16-6-2
H: 7-3-1  •  A: 8-3-1 •  N: 1-0-0
Last: @USD 3, POR 2 (11/4/2016)
 
Brigham Young Cougars (5-6-4, 2-2-1 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Oct. 28, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. BYU
Overall Series: 4-7-0
H: 1-3-0  •  A: 0-4-0  •  N: 3-0-0
Last: @BYU 3, POR 0 (10/15/2016)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots play their final two home games this week when they host the San Diego Toreros at Merlo Field on Thursday night and the Brigham Young Cougars on Saturday.
• Kickoff for both matches is set for 7 p.m., and Saturday night's contest with BYU is Portland's senior night as the Pilots will honor Maddie Dieker, Hannah Griffiths Boston and Ariel Viera with a pre-game ceremony.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots won their second game in a row with a 1-0 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Merlo Field on Saturday night.
• Portland dominated possession and created several chances during the first half, and freshman Ellie Walker gave the home side a 1-0 lead with her first career goal in the 77th minute.
• The Pilots would hold on from there with the help of a clutch save by keeper Rachel Lusby on a shot from point-blank range in the final minute.
• It was the third shutout this season for the Pilots, who shutdown the conference's top offensive team as the Bulldogs entered the match averaging 2.33 goals per contest, which ranked 19th in the nation.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Two of Portland's last three games have gone to double overtime, as the Pilots fell short of San Francisco 2-1 at home on Oct. 8 before winning 2-1 at LMU on Oct. 14.
• Rachel Lusby recorded a career-best 11 saves during the 2-1 double overtime win at LMU (Oct. 14); the 11 stops are tied for the second most in game ever at UP.
• Portland's six assists this season have come from six different players.
• Two of Portland's four wins this season have come on a game-winner in the final 10 minutes of regulation, while another game-winner came in double overtime.
• Kaycie Young scored the game-winner in the 90th minute against Oregon State (Sept. 15), and Hannah Griffiths Boston found the back of the net in the 84th minute of a 2-1 win over Portland State (Aug. 18); both of those goals came on a PK.
• Freshman Taryn Ries added to the last-minute dramatics on Oct. 14 with a game-winner in the 105th minute at LMU.
• Senior Hannah Griffiths Boston, Portland's leading scorer a year ago with eight goals, is tied for the team-high with sophomore Larkin Russell with two goals this season; Griffiths Boston ranked fourth in the WCC in goals last fall.
• Eight of Portland's 11 goals this fall have been scored by different players.
• The Pilots entered the season with 14 returning letterwinners and seven starters, but the Pilots feature a young squad as they've regularly had multiple freshmen in the starting XI; three freshman and a sophomore make up Portland's starting backline.
• Portland returned the majority of its offense from a year ago as seven of the Pilots' eight leading goal scorers came back.
• Sophomore midfielder/forward Kimberly Hazlett was voted to the Preseason All-WCC Team; a year ago Hazlett, who had two goals and an assist in her first year on The Bluff, landed on the league's all-freshman team.
• Portland's roster includes a heralded freshman class, which was ranked 28th in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
• The freshman class features a handful of local players including Olivia Dendinger (Hillsboro), Taryn Ries (Ridgefield, Wash.) and Ellie Walker (Vancouver); Ries was the No. 62 ranked recruit in the country, while fellow freshman Kendra Steele (Bellingham, Wash.) was No. 102.
• Head coach Garrett Smith, who has been named WCC Coach of the Year six times, is in his 15th year at the helm of the Pilots; he spent the previous 11 years as an assistant coach with Portland.
• Smith, a Portland men's soccer alum, has posted a career overall record of 222-75-24, while guiding the Pilots to a 78-27-9 mark in the WCC; he led the Pilots to a national title in 2005.
• Former Pilot midfielder Lisa Chambers is in her 11th year as an assistant coach, while UP men's soccer alum Miguel Guante (2002-05) is in his first season as an assistant coach for the women's program.
• Guante played both in the midfield and at right back for the Pilots, earning All-WCC Second Team honors all four years; he helped lead the Pilots to the Second Round of the NCAA Playoffs three times.
• Portland won the NCAA National Championship in 2002 and in 2005, and the 2002 squad will be inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame this fall.
• The Pilots have advanced to the post-season during 21 of the past 25 seasons.
• The Pilots have led the nation in attendance during 10 of the last 12 years.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The San Diego Toreros have won four of their first five WCC games, which included a home split last weekend against LMU (3-2) and Pepperdine (0-3).
• Junior Summer Mason is tied for the third most goals in the WCC with eight, and four of those goals have come against WCC opponents.
• San Diego has scored 17 goals on the year, while conceding 26.
• Redshirt-sophomore goalie Amber Michel has a goals against average of 1.71, claims a save percentage of .743 and posted one shutout.
• Former UCLA assistant coach Louise Lieberman is in her first year at the helm of the USD program.
• The BYU Cougars have out-scored opponents by a 21-18 margin this season.
• BYU is winless in its last two games, losing 2-1 to Pepperdine and tying LMU 0-0 at home last week.
• Senior Madie Mathews leads six players who have scored more than one goal with a team-best six on the year.
• The Cougars claim six clean sheets and senior keeper Hannah Clark has a GAA of 1.19 and a .742 save percentage.
• Jennifer Rockwood is in her 23rd year as head coach at BYU, and she has guided the Cougars to the NCAA tournament in 17 of 21 seasons, including last four seasons.