PORTLAND, Ore. – The 2022 fall soccer season is nearly here, with the Portland Pilots men's soccer team set to face off against the Southern Oregon Raiders in an exhibition for their first action of the 2022 season. The two teams face off this Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field, with live stats available at PortlandPilots.com.

Portland comes into the season as the preseason favorite to win the West Coast Conference, being picked first in the WCC Preseason Coaches Poll. Two players were also named to the WCC Preseason Team in midfielder Jake Arteaga and goalkeeper George Tasouris. They return 19 players from last season and add nine newcomers. 

The Pilots are coming off another successful 2021 campaign, finishing tied for third in the WCC with an 11-7-1 record. They made the NCAA Tournament last season for the third time under head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt, advancing to the second round after beating the Seattle U Redhawks 3-2 at home. TopDrawerSoccer had the Pilots at 25^th in their final 2021 Top 25 poll. They return four of their seven All-WCC honorees in Arteaga, Tasouris, Delentz Pierre and Sebastian Nava.

The Southern Oregon Raiders were tabbed as co-favorites in the Cascade Conference (CCC) preseason coaches poll, sharing the top spot with Warner Pacific. The NAIA school finished third last season at 10-3 and has finished no lower than that spot since 2015. Under head coach Davie Carmichael, Southern Oregon has posted a 34-6-3 CCC record and have outscored opponents 109-28. The Raiders also won the CCC title in 2018.

After this showdown, the Pilots will welcome another in-state opponent in the Oregon State beavers. The Beavers – who were the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament last season – will come to The Bluff on Monday, Aug. 15 for a 7 p.m. showdown. Live stats will be available for the match.

Season tickets for all men's and women's soccer matches are available now, starting at $75. Flex tickets are also available, with the option to buy 10 undated ticket vouchers that can be redeemed both in advance or on game day at the ticket office. For more information, check out PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or call Dave Taylor at (503) 943-8619.