PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots women's soccer team began the 2019 campaign on Wednesday morning with their first official practice, which took place on the Franz Campus on the River. The Pilots are scheduled to have a week of training before hosting British Columbia in an exhibition match on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Merlo Field at 7 p.m.
 
Portland returns the majority of their roster from last fall as 17 letterwinners and eight starters are back. Highlighting the returners are 2018 All-WCC selections Olivia Dendinger, Kimberly Hazlett, and Taryn Ries. Ries, a junior forward, had a breakout season last year en route all-conference first-team and all-region honors. She ranked seventh nationally in both goals (15) and game-winners (6), and she led the league with 33 points. Ries also registered a pair of hat tricks, and her 15 goals are the most in a season for a Pilot since 2009.
 
Dendinger, a junior center back, helped the Pilots produce eight shutouts in 2018, which are the most clean sheets for Portland since 2013. A senior, Hazlett has earned all-conference recognition every year on The Bluff. She was second on the team in points last season, finishing with five goals and six assists.
 
Joining the Pilots' experienced roster are 11 newcomers.
 
Back at the helm is UP alum Michelle French, who enters 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. The Pilots also exploded for 30 goals, nearly tripling the goal output from 2017.
 
Assistant coach Maite Zabala returns for her second year on The Bluff, while assistant coach and UP alum Logan Emory begins his first year on the women's side after spending the previous three seasons with the men's program.
 
The Pilots open the regular season at Washington on Friday, Aug. 23.

Scroll down for photos from Portland's first official practice.