PORTLAND PILOTS (5-7-0, 1-3-0 WCC)
WEEK 10: vs. San Diego Toreros

San Diego Toreros (6-7-0, 1-3-0 WCC)
Day: Wednesday
Date: Oct. 20, 2021
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: PortlandPilots.com
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. USD
Overall Series: 18-8-2
H: 7-5-1   •  A: 10-3-1  •  N: 1-0-0
Last: POR 3, @USD 0 (March 27, 2021)

THIS WEEK 
• The Portland Pilots women's soccer team has a two-game homestand ahead of them this week, starting with a midweek matchup against the San Diego Toreros.
• Kickoff for the match is set for Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
• Links for a video stream and live stats can be found at PortlandPilots.com.

PROMOTIONS/TICKETS
• Portland will honor their women's soccer alumni at Saturday's match against the Santa Clara Broncos.
• Check PortlandPilots.com/Tickets for single-game options for both Wednesday and Saturday.

NEXT UP
• The Pilots will play the defending national champions on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Santa Clara Broncos
• The match will be broadcasted on KOIN 6, making it the first Pilot sporting event to be televised on the channel this year.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for live video and stat options as well as for tickets.

ABOUT THE PILOTS 
• Portland is 5-7-0 on the season and 1-3-0 in conference play, most recently losing to the Saint Mary's Gaels 2-1.
• The Pilots allowed two goals off of set pieces in the first half, but then put together an impressive second-half to nearly force overtime.
• Nedya Sawan scored for the Pilots, netting her seventh goal of the season.
• Sawan's seven goals are tied for fourth in the WCC. She is also tied for second in the WCC in game-winning goals at three.
• Sawan is the scoring leader for the Pilots, ranking first in total points (15) and goals (7)
• The Pilots last win came on Oct. 9 when they took down the San Francisco Dons 1-0.
• Portland's five shutouts are the third-most in the WCC.
• Nedya Sawan had the game-winner for the Pilots, her third game-winning goal.
• Freshman goalkeeper Bre Norris has started every match for the Pilots in goal and has helped Portland earn five shutouts, which is tied for third in the WCC.
• Her 1,080 minutes in goal for the Pilots is the most of any freshman keeper in the WCC. It is also the most minutes played in goal by a Pilot freshman keeper since Cori Alexander in 2003.
• The Pilots are a young squad that returns all but five athletes that played with the team last season. They also add eight talented newcomers to the squad. 
• The Pilots entered the season picked to finish fifth in the conference for the second year in a row.
• Taryn Ries was named to the All-WCC Preseason squad for the third season in a row. She was the only Pilot to earn such an honor. 
• Ries was one of four Pilots to earn All-WCC recognition last season, making the All-WCC First Team. The other three were Camille Ashe, Sophia Mattice and Elliott Winklemann.
• Ashe and Mattice both return after putting together stellar freshmen seasons.
• Ashe, who was All-WCC Honorable Mention while also making the All-WCC Freshman Team, started in all 10 matches for the Pilots as a center back. She helped the Pilots record five straight shutouts for the first time since 2010, back when they were ranked second in the nation.
• Midfielder Mattice played and started in nine matches for Portland. She recorded a goal and an assist on the season.
• Ashe and Mattice were not the only young Pilots to play a significant role with the team this past season.
• Sawan played in nine matches (six starts) for the Pilots and ranked second on the team in goals scored (2) and total points (5).
• Both of Sawan's goals came in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Torreros on March 27. Sawan also recorded an assist against the Pacific Tigers on March 6.
• Eight of the nine Pilots who played in every match this past season -- Gabi Brummett, Jamie Rita, Ellie Walker, Emily Collier, Hannah McCord, Camille Ashe, MJ Roe and Sophie French -- will play this year for Portland.
• French and Walker both played roles in helping the Pilots secure five straight shutouts.
• Brummett and Rita each played key roles in the Pilots' offense, with Brummett notching a team-leading two assists on the year and Rita adding a goal herself.

ABOUT THE TOREROS
• The San Diego Toreros are 6-7-0 on the year and 1-3-0 in conference play.
• They most recently defeated the Loyola Marymount Lions 2-0 at home.
• Their 25 shots were the most they've put together in a game this season.
• The shutout was also the first 90-minute shutout of goalkeeper Ellyn Casto's career.
• Casto has put together a solid season so far, ranking second in the WCC in total saves with 60.
• Michaela Foster is the leading scorer for the Toreros this year with three goals and six points. She is also the only Torero to have played ever minute so far this year.
• Louise Lieberman is in her sixth season head coach of the Toreros.

THE STAFF 
• UP alum Michelle French is in her fourth year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French posted a 20-19-8 record in her first three years as the head coach of Portland.
• French came to The Bluff after spending 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 fourth year on The Bluff, while assistant coach and UP alum Logan Emory is in his third year on the women's side after spending the previous three seasons with the men's program.
• Molly Dwyer joins the coaching staff here at Portland after coaching stints with UNC Asheville and Racing Louisville FC.

THE HISTORY 
• Portland has a strong women's soccer tradition and is one of just six programs to win multiple NCAA Championships in the sport (2002, 2005). 
• The Pilots have made eight Final Four appearances (1994-96, 1998, 2000-02, 2005) and they've won 13 WCC Championships. 
• The Pilots have advanced to the post-season 21 times overall.
• The Pilots led the nation in attendance for 10 consecutive seasons (2005-14); in 2018 UP ranked fourth in the country in attendance per game (1,679) and were sixth in overall attendance (18,474).

THE OLYMPICS
• University of Portland women's soccer alums Megan Rapinoe (USA), Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Sophie Schmidt (Canada) represented their countries this past summer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan, with Sinclair and Schmidt winning their first ever gold medal and Rapinoe earning bronze.
• Sinclair, who is the all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's soccer at 187, scored one goal during the tournament. It came during Canada's July 21 match against the host country, Japan.
• Schmidt played in one match against Great Britain in group play.
• Sinclair and Schmidt's Canadian team defeated Megan Rapinoe and the United States Women's National Team 1-0 in the semifinals after Jessie Fleming scored the game-winning goal off a penalty. It was the second Olympics in a row where the U.S. failed to make the gold medal game.
• Rapinoe did, however, play a significant role in helping the U.S. get bronze, scoring two unassisted goals against Australia in their final match on Aug. 5. The U.S. won 4-3.

PILOTS IN THE PROS 
• The Portland women's soccer program has a long tradition of sending players to the pros, both in the United States and in Europe.
• The Puget Sound area has been a popular landing spot for Portland graduates as eight women's soccer alums have played for the Reign.
• Currently the OL Reign roster features Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox, who came out of retirement to re-join her long-time club.
• The Portland Thorns claim the legendary Christine Sinclair, who has spent her entire NWSL career in Portland.
• Sinclair helped the Thorns win two NWSL Championships, once in 2013 and again in 2017.
• Sophie Schmidt has spent the past three seasons as a midfielder with the Houston Dash, who won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.