PORTLAND, Ore. --- The 2017 Portland Pilots women's soccer team opened the fall season with their first official practice on Wednesday morning at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. The Pilots enter the season with 14 returning letterwinners and a recruiting class that was ranked No. 28 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
 
Among those returning letterwinners are seven starters, and seven of the Pilots' eight leading goal scorers from last season are also back. Senior Hannah Griffiths Boston leads the Portland attack after netting a team-high eight goals last fall, which ranked fourth in the West Coast Conference. Redshirt-senior Ariel Viera also returns after missing last year with an injury.
 
The Pilots will be looking to return to the playoffs in 2017 after advancing to the post-season during 21 of the past 25 seasons. Portland won the NCAA National Championship in 2002 and in 2005.
 
Head coach Garrett Smith, who has been named WCC Coach of the Year six times, enters his 15th year at the helm of the Pilots. Smith, a Portland men's soccer alum, has posted a career overall record of 217-65-23, while guiding the Pilots to a remarkable 76-23-9 mark in the WCC.
 
Also back on the Portland bench is former Pilot midfielder Lisa Chambers, who enters her 11th year as an assistant coach. Chambers was a standout on that 2005 national title team. Joining Smith and Chambers is first-year assistant coach Miguel Guante, who starred for the Portland men's side from 2002-05.
 
The Pilots open the 2017 season at home vs. Portland State on Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. North Carolina State then visits Merlo Field for a game on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.
 
Portland will also host Oregon in an exhibition match on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field.