PORTLAND PILOTS (4-4-4, 0-2-2 WCC)
WEEK 10: vs. #4 BYU / San Francisco
 
#4 Brigham Young Cougars (13-0-1, 3-0-1 WCC)
Day: Wednesday
Date: Oct. 23, 2019
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Online: Video I Stats
 
POR vs. BYU
Overall Series: 4-9-0
H: 1-4-0  •  A: 0-5-0  •  N: 3-0-0
Last: @BYU 3, POR 0 (9/29/2018)
 
San Francisco Dons (9-4-2, 2-1-1 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Oct. 26, 2019
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Online: Video I Stats
 
POR vs. USF
Overall Series: 28-2-2
H: 14-1-1  •  A: 13-1-1 •  N: 1-0-0
Last: @USF 3, POR 2 (10/21/2018)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots continue their three-game homestand by hosting No. 4 Brigham Young and San Francisco in a pair of West Coast Conference matches at Merlo Field.
• First the top-five Cougars visit on Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. match.
• Saturday night brings a 7:30 p.m. game against the Dons
• The match with USF is the second half of a soccer double header on Bluff as the men's side battles Santa Clara at 4:30 p.m.
• Links for video streams and live stats for both games can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
PROMOTIONS/TICKETS
• For information on fan promotions, please visit PortlandPilots.com/Promotions.
• Fans can also visit PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or call/text 503-943-GoUP for information on tickets for Saturday night and every Pilot home game.
• One ticket on Saturday will get you into both the men's and women's games at Merlo Field.
 
WATER1ST
• The women's soccer team is working with Water1st this season in order to bring attention to their cause and raise money for the organization.
• Representatives will have a booth in the Merlo Field plaza on Saturday night where fans can learn more about Water1st, make donations, and collect stickers and water bottles; there will also be a Jerry Can race at halftime.
• The Pilots will be wearing Water1st t-shirts during warm-ups pregame, and they'll be throwing some shirts into the crowd.
• Water1st was started in 2005 by a group of professionals with experience in the water and sanitation and fundraising sectors, with a focus on building an organization from the ground up with the ability to consistently implement high-quality water and sanitation projects that provide permanent solutions for the world's poorest communities.
• For more information, please visit Water1st.org.
• Quoting junior Elliott Winkelmann: ""The work that Water1st does transforms communities and provides opportunities for women to get an education and better themselves, instead of carrying water for hours every day. We wanted to support this organization because we are all so impacted by the opportunity to get an education and make decisions for ourselves, and we want that for women across the world as well."
 
LAST WEEK
•  Taryn Ries found the back of the net in the second half and the Pilots hit the woodwork three times, including twice during overtime, as Portland played to a 1-1 draw with the No. 20 Santa Clara Broncos Saturday night at Merlo Field.
• The Broncos scored the game's first goal in the 22nd minute, but from there the Pilots controlled large stretches of possession and created quality chances all night long.
• Larkin Russell assisted on Ries' goal, which was a left-footed shot from outside the box that she planted inside the left post, leveling the score 1-1 in the 77th minute.
• The Pilots were awarded a PK after a foul inside the area during the first OT, but Russell hit the post on her attempt as the game continued.
• Then in the closing seconds, Ries hit the bar with a shot for the second time, as the match ended in a draw.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• 10 of Portland's 12 games this season have been decided by one goal or less, and they've played to two consecutive 1-1 draws.
• Portland's wins at San Jose State (Sept. 20) and at Cal (Sept. 22) was the program's first two-game, weekend sweep on the road since winning back-to-back games at Saint Mary's and at Pacific in 2015.
• The win over then-No. 21 Cal on Sept. 22 was Portland's first win over a ranked opponent since 2013, which also came on the road (at Santa Clara).
• The Pilots are tied for second in the WCC in fewest goals allowed (16).
• Taryn Ries ranks seventh in the WCC in points per game (1.17) and assists per game (0.33), she's eighth in both points (14) and assists (4), and she's ninth in goals (5).
• Freshman goalkeeper Jenny Wahlen recorded back-to-back shutouts to begin her career with the Pilots; she's currently second the WCC with three clean sheets, and she ranks third in saves per game (4.08).
• Wahlen was stellar in her collegiate debut, which was a 0-0 shutout at Washington (Aug. 23); she followed that performance with a 1-0 shutout of New Mexico (Aug. 29), and she opened her career with 228 consecutive scoreless minutes.
• Eight players have scored a goal for the Pilots, and the Pilots have 12 assists on their 14 goals.
• Portland returned 17 letterwinners and eight starters from 2018.
• Taryn Ries was voted to the 2019 All-WCC Preseason Team, and the Pilots were picked to finish fourth in a vote by the league's 10 head coaches.
 
THE OPPONENTS
• The fourth-ranked BYU Cougars are one of two remaining unbeaten teams (Virginia).
• They feature one of the top offenses in the country, ranking second in both goals (50) and goals per game (3.57), and they're coming off an 8-0 win over Saint Mary's.
• Elise Flake is No. 6 in the country with 13 goals, and her teammate Mikayla Colohan ranks 28th with 10 goals.
• BYU has allowed only six goals, they've out-scored their last two opponents by a combined 14-0 margin, and they've registered 10 shutouts.
• Jennifer Rockwood is in her 25th year as head coach at BYU, and she's guided the Cougars to the 18 NCAA tournaments.
• The San Francisco Dons are coming off as 3-2 overtime win at Pacific.
• The Dons have scored 33 goals this year, while allowing 27; their average of 2.2 goals per game ranks 27th nationally.
• Miciah Madison and Samantha Jehnings have both scored eight goals, and Madison is tied for the lead in the WCC with nine assists.
• Keeper Olivia Camera has a GAA of 1.59 and a .721 save percentage.
• Jim Millinder is in his eighth season at the helm of the Dons.
 
THE STAFF
• UP alum Michelle French is in her second year as head coach of the Pilots.
• In her first season, French guided the Pilots to 11 wins, which was more than double the previous year's total.
• French came to The Bluff after spending the previous 12 years coaching in the U.S. Soccer system, most recently as an assistant coach with the Senior Women's National Team.
• With the Pilots, French (1995-98) was an All-American defender, a four-year starter, and a finalist for National Player of the Year as a senior in 1998; she led the Pilots to three NCAA Final Four appearances as a player, including the NCAA title game in 1995.
• Assistant coach Maite Zabala is in her second year on The Bluff, while assistant coach and UP alum Logan Emory is in his first year on the women's side after spending the previous three seasons with the men's program.
• Elli Reed, another Portland alum, is in her second year as the director of operations; Reed returned to The Bluff following a lengthy pro career, which ended with a five-year stint with the Seattle Reign in the NWSL.