PORTLAND, Ore. --- After a scoreless first half, the Pilots turned up the pressure after the break and junior Benji Michel scored the game-winner in the 57th minute as the Pilots toppled the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 1-0 on the opening night of the Nike Portland Invitational on Friday at Merlo Field. It's the third goal in three games for Michel.
 
The goal came after Gio Magana-Rivera won possession just outside the 18-yard box and played a perfect through ball to the feet of Michel. The forward then took a touch before slotting one into the right corner of the net to hand the home side the 1-nil lead.
 
From there, the Pilots continued to create chances, and in the 64th minute Alejandro Pereira hammered a shot from distance that forced UCSB (2-1-0) keeper Ben Roach into making a crucial save. After the stop, the ball was loose in the box momentarily before Roach was able to coral it.
 
At the other end of the pitch, Portland goalkeeper Kienan Weekes was clutch all night, making game-preserving saves and collecting several crosses sent in by the Gauchos. In the 51st minute he denied a driven shot off the foot of Axel Mendez, and he made a handful of saves down the stretch to seal Portland's (2-0-1) first clean sheet of the year.
 
The Pilots finished with nine shots on the night, including another decent effort from Michel when he hit one just wide from outside the area in the 84th minute.
 
Weekes finished with five saves, while Roach provided just the one.
 
Both teams entered the night receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll, and the Pilots remain unbeaten on the young season.
 
An impressive 2,110 students were in attendance Friday, helping the Pilots to the shutout.
 
The Pilots next host the Cal Poly Mustangs on Monday, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Merlo Field.