PORTLAND, Ore. --- The 2019 University of Portland men's soccer schedule features matches against six teams that advanced to the NCAA Playoffs last fall as the Pilots will look to navigate back to the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons. Additionally, 10 of Portland's 2019 opponents have reached the NCAA Tournament within the past three years.
 
"We are excited to release our very exciting and challenging 2019 schedule," said Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt. "I always believe in playing the best programs possible and this will be our most demanding schedule to date. Our non-conference portion of the schedule is filled with conference champions or teams qualifying for the NCAA tournament from respected conferences across the country."
 
The Pilots open the home schedule with an exhibition match against Oregon State on Sunday, Aug. 18. An exhibition game with Utah Valley follows on Friday, Aug. 23, and the game against the Wolverines is part of UP's Freshman Orientation, which includes the always popular Bite on The Bluff in the Chiles Center Plaza, adjacent to Merlo Field.
 
The regular season begins with the first meeting ever against Colgate, a 2018 NCAA tourney team from the Patriot League. The match is set for Friday, Aug. 30 at Merlo Field, and the Raiders reached the second round of the playoffs last fall.
 
Two days later Coastal Carolina comes to The Bluff to play the Pilots on Sunday, Sept. 1. The Chanticleers claim 14 NCAA visits, which includes reaching the playoffs in eight of the last nine years. This is the second meeting between Portland and Coastal Carolina after the Pilots defeated the Chanticleers last season on the road.
 
Next is consecutive games against schools from the Atlantic 10 Conference, beginning with a home date against George Washington on Friday, Sept. 6. The following Sunday (Sept. 8) Davidson comes to North Portland, and this will mark the first meetings ever for the Pilots against both the Colonials and Wildcats.
 
The Pilots play their first road game of 2019 when they travel north to face the Seattle U Redhawks on Thursday, Sept. 12. The trip continues when the Pilots head to Madison, Wisc., for a match with the Wisconsin Badgers. This is the first meeting since 2012 for the Pilots and Badgers, who have been to seven NCAA playoffs, most recently in 2017 when the advanced to the third round.
 
Portland returns briefly to host CSUN on Friday, Sept. 20, before embarking on a road trip to Seattle Wash., for the 50th meeting all-time between the Pilots and Washington Huskies, which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29. The first game between the northwest rivals happened in 1977, and the Pilots defeated the Huskies last year at Merlo Field. UW has been to the NCAA tournament 24 times, including last fall.
 
The following weekend features another fixture with a 2018 playoff team when the UC Riverside Highlanders come to Merlo Field on Friday, Oct. 4, for their first match ever with the Pilots.
 
Play in the West Coast Conference, which moved league games primarily to Saturdays, begins at home on Saturday, Oct. 12 against the Pacific Tigers, who have been to the NCAA Second Round for three straight years.
 
A trip to Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Oct. 19, precedes a four-game homestand for the Pilots, which begins with a non-conference match against the Cal Bears on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Cal can claim 19 NCAA appearances, and they've reached the NCAA Quarterfinals three times.
 
Santa Clara visits Merlo Field on Saturday, Oct. 26, Gonzaga follows on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and San Francisco will be in North Portland on Saturday, Nov. 2. The game with USF is the Pilots' final home match of the season, and it will feature the return of former Portland assistant coach Leonard Griffin, who's in his first year as head coach of the Dons.
 
The 2019 regular season concludes with trips to San Diego (Nov. 9) and Saint Mary's (Nov. 16). The Gaels are the reigning WCC Champions and they reached the 2018 NCAA Third Round.
 
"Our schedule will help us prepare for the rigors of the West Coast Conference, which has proven to be one of the most challenging leagues nationwide sending three teams to the NCAA's this past year," added Carlin-Voigt. We couldn't be more excited to blend our new players with our returning guys to continue to pursue excellence. We look forward to the community and students getting behind our team and driving us forward as they provide the energy that makes Portland soccer so special."
 
The Pilots returned to the playoffs in 2018 after opening the year with record of 10-0-3 to climb to No. 7 in the national rankings. Portland entered the national rankings during the third week of the fall and remained there for the remainder of the year, and by the end of the regular season they had suffered only three losses, which was the fewest since 1995.
 
Portland earned a first-round home match against UCLA, and the game last fall was the first home playoff contest for the Pilots since 2002. The 1-0 win over the Bruins sent Portland to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
 
2019 season tickets are now on sale, and fans can reserve their seat at historic Merlo Field by calling or texting 503-943-GoUP (4687), or by visiting PortlandPilots.com/SoccerTickets. Stadium chairs, which offer the best views in the stadium, start at $215, bench backs are available for $135, and general admission seats start at only $85. One season ticket is good for every men's and women's soccer home game.
 
The popular fan experiences also return for the 2019 Fall Season, so make sure to reserve a group experience for your team/group while they're still available. Reservations require a 10-ticket deposit per experience. To receive more information on specific fan experiences, or to purchase your group package, please call or text 503-943-GoUP (4687), or visit PortlandPilots.com/SoccerTickets.