PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Pilots started their week with a victory, taking down the UC San Diego Tritons 1-0 at Merlo Field. Portland improves their record to 2-2-0 on the season.

Sophomore forward Jacob Babalai was the lone scorer in this one. The goal marked his first of the season.

Portland started the match playing at a slow pace. They opted for a slow build from the backline, making crisp, short passes as they worked their way towards the goal. It was a methodical attack from the Pilots to begin the match.

The possession-based style served Portland well defensively. The Tritons rarely had any chances in the final third, and when they did get opportunities, the windows were swiftly shut by Portland. San Diego tried to get some chances on the counterattack before Portland could recover, but the Pilots did well to work their way back and defend the goal.

The hard work from the Pilots finally paid off in the 42^nd minute. Luke Hendel took a through ball and dribbled into the box. He worked a pass into the middle to Babalai, who corralled the pass and put a shot right past Dominic Peters and into the top left corner of the goal. The goal put the Pilots up one heading into halftime.

UC San Diego came out much more aggressive in the second half. They sped towards the goal anytime the Pilots left a sliver of space, using their speed to put themselves in position for easy scores. But the Pilots' ensured that no score would come easy with stellar defense.

Portland didn't rest on their laurels as they looked to double their lead. The Pilots tried to run the ball up the sideline before cutting in to try and find something easy at the top of the box.

The Pilots didn't find the back of the net in the final 45, but neither did the Tritons. Portland would go on to win 1-0.

Next up, the Pilots will hit the road to Los Angeles for their first away match of the season against the UCLA Bruins. Kickoff for that match is set for Friday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.