PORTLAND, Ore. – It's about 30 minutes into the Portland Pilots' first home playoff game in 16 years. They're taking on the UCLA Bruins in a game that's bigger than just two teams duking it out. There's obviously the playoff atmosphere affecting everything, but there's the history between Portland's coach – Nick Carlin-Voigt – and UCLA in play here too.

There's also the connection between Benji Michel and UCLA. Carlin-Voigt first tried to recruit Michel to the blue and gold when he was the associate head coach before making the leap to Portland. One day he was wearing UCLA colors trying to convince the superhuman athlete from Florida to be a Bruin. The next, he was wearing Pilot purple trying to sell Michel on a vision of what they could build on The Bluff.

"I knew that he was up to something," Michel said about Carlin-Voigt. "We had a chance to bring something special to campus."

But back to game, because Michel's about to do what he does best. Alejandro Pereira corrals a long ball and plays it to Michel. The striker takes a couple touches, moves to the left edge of the goal and kicks.

It finds the back of the net. Michel slides on his knees in front of the raucous Villa Drum Squad. Pilots lead 1-0.
 
That was the final goal of Michel's college career, and it was all the Pilots needed. It gave Portland their first home playoff win since 2002 and pushed them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. It was yet another victory that came at the feet of Benji Michel.

Michel still wears purple these days, but it's a different shade. He's in his fourth year with MLS side Orlando City, and he's playing well. Now he's making his second trip to Portland as a professional, this time with national team experience under his belt. Slowly but surely, Michel is becoming more and more of a household name in MLS.

"We're really proud of Benji and our program," Carlin-Voigt said. "He knew exactly what he wanted, and he produced on the field."

When he was first recruited to The Bluff, there was some trepidation on Michel's part. He trusted Carlin-Voigt, but even though Portland is Soccer City U.S.A. and the Pilots have a long history of success, they hadn't been a powerhouse in years. They hadn't made the playoffs since 2009 and finished just 3-12-3 in the season before Carlin-Voigt took over.

There was risk involved for sure. Michel remembers when a big snowstorm covered the Pacific Northwest his freshman year – not exactly a common sight in Florida – and he could only think to himself "Why am I here?" But he thought back to how Carlin-Voigt told him that he could accomplish so much on The Bluff. Conference titles, playoff appearances, personal development – all of this could happen here in Portland if he trusted in the process. They'd already accomplished so much that first year; why not keep doing it?

Michel was all in.

"I really had a lot of trust in Nick and his process," Michel said. "I trusted Nick and he trusted me and I wanted to further my development."

The list of Michel's college accomplishments is long. He was an All-WCC First Team selection each of his three seasons on The Bluff, earning All-West Region honors all three years as well. He had 31 goals in 53 games (51 starts) for the Pilots, just over a goal every two games. His 12 game-winning goals ranks third all-time in program history.

Carlin-Voigt says he remembers every goal like it was yesterday. But the one that stands out to him more than all of them was Michel's game-winner against UCLA. Michel's final college goal came at Merlo Field in front of almost 2,000 screaming Pilot fans against the team he almost chose over Portland. It's hard to think of a better way for Michel to end things.

"For him to end his career on Merlo in that fashion was awesome," Carlin-Voigt said.

For Michel, as great as the goals were, nothing compared to his freshman year in 2016. That year, the Pilots finished 12-5-2 overall and 6-1 in WCC play. They won the WCC Championship for the first time since 2002 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. It was their best season as a team since 2009 as well. It was Michel's favorite season in Portland.+
 
"I knew that (UCLA game) really meant a lot to Nick," Michel said. "But for me, what really meant a lot to me was giving the seniors a championship ring at home."

As a team, Portland nearly swept the WCC individual honors in 2016. Eddie Sanchez won WCC Player of the Year, Paul Christensen won Goalkeeper of the Year and Carlin-Voigt was named Co-Coach of the Year. Michel was one of the best as well, earning Freshman of the Year and All-WCC First Team honors after scoring 10 goals with four assists and three game-winners. He was the first Freshman of the Year for Portland since 2013.

All of these names come up when Michel talks about his time at Portland. The striker points to the example that players like Sanchez set. That freshman season, he played with a group of guys that were the epitome of a team. They embodied what college soccer is truly about. He looks back fondly on all his years on The Bluff, but 2016 was special.

"Those guys were really like the base that made sure that everyone was on-point," Michel said. "Everyone was really focused because they knew that this was their last year and some of the guys wanted to go professional and some guys wanted to make the most of their last year and get a ring. So a lot of guys got together and made sure we did everything right to make it happen, and we were able to make it happen."

It was this 2016 team that set the bar for Michel in terms of what he could be as a leader. Michel always described himself as more of a lead-by-example type, not as vocal. That team showed him that he had to speak up to best help himself and his team, even if it wasn't always the popular thing to do.

Developing those leadership capabilities was crucial for Michel. When you're as athletic as Michel, you can get away with a lot on the field. That athleticism doesn't help as much at the next level. That's why Michel made it a priority to improve in all aspects, not just on the field.

"I think he got a lot mentally stronger," Carlin-Voigt said. "He grew a lot… he just kept getting better in every aspect of his life."

Carlin-Voigt remembers how tirelessly Michel worked on the mental and technical side. There were countless nights of he and Michel watching film of games, with Michel asking how to best operate in space, how to improve technically on the ball, how to be the best at everything he knew he'd need at the next level. These meetings were almost always initiated by Michel, too.

Carlin-Voigt knew Michel had the athletic talent; he could tell right away from the moment he saw him playing with SIMA, doing his signature backflips then and there. It was his improvement as an overall player that impressed him most and his commitment to his team.
 
"He just kept getting better every day," Carlin-Voigt said. "So many good memories of him. He came to a program that wasn't one of the best in the country when he committed and he stayed loyal to the program. He really helped elevate the program, and I think he helped pave the way for future guys to come here."

Michel knew soon after the second-round Kentucky match following the UCLA win – a 4-0 drubbing courtesy of one of the best teams in the country – that he had done what he needed to in Portland. Michel accomplished all he wanted at the college level, and it was time to achieve his lifelong dream: becoming a professional soccer player.

He made that dream come true when he signed a homegrown contract with Orlando City just before the new year in December of 2018. He was the third player since Carlin-Voigt took over to go pro and one in a long line of Pilots – from Luis Robles to Steve Cherundolo to Kasey Keller – to make the leap.

Carlin-Voigt underscored how impressive it is for Michel to have as much experience as he does so early in his career. The average college player usually spends time in the USL before making the leap to MLS. Even then, once they make the top league, they don't stay long. The average MLS career lasts only two-and-a-half years according to a study done in 2010.

"When you're a young guy, you have to do not what's asked of you, but you have to do extra work, whether that's at home or at the field," Michel said. "I think that what I've been trying to do so far, just trying to build my confidence so that way I can be up to par with the guys."

Michel's approach has been to just keep things simple. Play your game and work hard and it'll come. It's paid off, with Michel already beginning to carve out a spot for himself with his club.

Michel is in his fourth season with Orlando City, with his playing time slowly increasing each year. He played 17 games with nine starts his rookie year in 2019, had 21 appearances with eight starts in a shortened 2020 season and played every game for Orlando City last year with 19 starts. He's played in all four games this season with two starts.

When he's on the field, he's producing. He's got 15 goals and five assists so far in his career. He, like every pro, had some "Welcome to MLS" moments early in his career, but always knew that he belonged in the top league. He didn't want to play in the USL or go on loan somewhere. He knew he was ready for MLS; he just needed the chances to prove it.

"There's a time where you feel like you just need to go," Michel said. "You want to be around that environment where everyone is… and that's where I felt like I had to go and that's what I do."
 
The leap has panned out, and not just in MLS play. Last year, Michel got the chance to do something few players ever get the opportunity to do: represent the United States Men's National Team. So far, he's played three matches for the U23 squad and earned the call up for the senior squad last year. He was an unused substitute in the friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, but even getting that chance to just be there in Orlando in front of friends and family was a special moment.

"The national team experience was a dream come true," Michel said. "I spent hours on my craft just to get to that point in my career to be able to do that… I was actually able to do that in Orlando. Like, what are the odds?"

While Michel acknowledges the sentiment of returning to his old stomping grounds, he's a professional about his return. He has a job to do – he has to go out there and do what he can to help Orlando City earn a win over the Portland Timbers this Sunday at 1 p.m.

"I'm definitely going to stop by campus, look around to see some coaches, Nick and everyone else," Michel said. "At the end of the day it's a business trip. That's what we're here for."

Michel has his focus firmly on the present at the moment. Like any fierce competitor, he has his goals – play in Europe, earn a cap for the USMNT, etc. – but for the most part he's focused on continuing to progress as a player here in MLS.

"I think everyone has a dream to play in Europe, and I don't think he's any different," Carlin-Voigt said. "But I just remind him he's got to be where his feet are… but he's really focused on Orlando City right now and becoming the best team they can be."

Michel will keep his feet on the ground. Unless he's scoring. Then those feet will fly in the air for the second-long backflips he's becoming known for. The way things are going, there'll be plenty of those for years to come.