PORTLAND, Ore. – There's one theme that popped up again and again when talking to the 2022 Portland Pilots women's soccer team: Freedom. Freedom of expression, freedom of play, freedom to be yourself – it's something that was emphasized over and over again by head coach Michelle French and others on the team. The emphasis is always on building a culture that encourages freedom both on and off the field.

That doesn't mean the Pilots don't come in with a general plan. They usually want to play solid, possession-based soccer, building from the back, working diagonally and creating opportunities at the goal. But rigidity rarely works in sports. And that's where the culture of freedom comes in for French and the Pilots.

"I don't think we marry ourselves to a specific tactic because we have way too much flexibility in the ability of our players, so we want to give them that freedom to do what the game is telling them to do," French said. "Is it on to dribble and shoot up space? Is it on to get end line and clip a ball back post? Defensively, should we be pressing this team and locking them on one side or do we want the ball to go to their center back? I think it's a game-by-game situation."

Emily Collier is intimately familiar with the system. A versatile player who took advantage of the fifth year afforded by COVID, Collier was a part of French's first recruiting class when she was hired as head coach back in 2018. French's willingness to let players express themselves on the field is nothing new.

"It was almost like Frenchie (French's nickname) allowing us this freedom was, like, weird," Collier said. "It was like 'Oh, I can express myself. It doesn't have to black and white.'"

That culture of freedom and expressivity was a shock at first, Collier said. Now, it's crucial in understanding what the Pilots are building. 2022 will be French's fifth year with Portland as head coach, and it's coming off the heels of a solid fourth year. The Pilots went 9-8 with a 5-4 record in conference play to finish fifth in the WCC. That conference record and finish was their best since 2013. It was also the first time they finished above .500 overall since French's first season in 2018. In French's eyes, the foundation for what she wants to build in Portland has finally been laid; now it's time to keep building.
 
"I think the big takeaway is we're on the right path," French said. "I think we're on the right path of continuing to develop who we want to be as a program, whether that's our style of play, whether that's how we represent ourselves in the community, whether that's culturally who we are as a program, and I think you could see glimpses of where we're headed."

French doesn't focus too much on last year – French sees the team as in a completely different mindset already – but she pointed to some highlights that helped springboard their development.

Nothing stands out more than their 2-0 win over the Santa Clara Broncos – the national champions from the 2020-21 spring season and a longtime conference rival – at Merlo Field. It was their first win over the Broncos since 2013.

Shutting out the defending national champions is no small feat, especially considering Santa Clara would go on to make another run at the trophy by making the College Cup Final Four. But it's even sweeter when considering the history between the Pilots and the Broncos.

Portland beat the Broncos 2-1 in double overtime in the 2002 National Championship to win their first national title. They've met three time in the NCAA Tournament. They are the two most storied women's soccer programs in the WCC, the only two programs to have won a national championship. They're both in the elite company of being two of just six teams in all of NCAA Division I with multiple national championships. Starting forward Nedya Sawan, an Oregon native who grew up watching Pilot soccer, is fully aware of that history.

"The Santa Clara-Portland rivalry will always be a huge thing because of the history of the programs and the battling to be at the top of the league, even at the top of the country back in the day," said Sawan, who played club soccer with FC Portland, a club that legendary Pilot coach Clive Charles played a significant role. "I had grown up watching games and being a part of the culture and stuff like that, so I guess that gives me kind of a different insight into the rivalry… whether that was with the men's or women's team, there was always a huge crowd and just that energy was really incredible."
 
Sawan played a significant role in Portland's success last year. In her first fall season, Sawan wasn't just Portland's top player statistically; she was one of the best in the WCC. She finished with 26 points off 12 goals and two assists, ranking sixth in the conference. Her goal total was third in the WCC as well, with her six game-winning goals leading the conference. She was the first All-WCC First Team selection and All-West Region selection not named Taryn Ries since Allison Wetherington and Ellie Boon in 2016.

For Sawan, the fall of 2021 just felt more comfortable. Her freshman season in the spring of 2021 was the first for WCC soccer since COVID paused all sports, and she admits that it affected her year one performance. From COVID to minor injuries, Sawan never felt adjusted. That changed this past season, and now the 2022 WCC Preseason Team selection feels more assured in her role.

"A lot of my success, I would honestly attribute to my teammates and learning to play with them," Sawan said. "Obviously my freshman year was a little bit different because of COVID, but I came off it feeling not quite like myself, and I was coming off an injury as well, so it just wasn't quite clicking for me. So going into my sophomore season, my goal was just to try to get my identity back as a player and try to see how my strengths can fit into the team."

French and company were happy to see Sawan produce like she did, but the forward's big season was much more than just how many points she accumulated for herself. It was the mental adjustments Sawan made that impressed the staff.

"She, as most athletes do, went through times where you're questioning yourself or your confidence isn't great, and those are all struggles that got her to a position to be successful as she was last year," French said. "It's incredible to have her two more years because of the COVID year, but she's so much more than just a goalscorer, and she puts a lot of time and work in and has a lot of pride in who she is as a player."
 
Sawan isn't the only Pilot that returns. The Pilots return six players who started 10 or more games. Of the returning players who saw the field last year, all of them got at least 10 games under their belt except for one.

One key returner will be young goalkeeper Bre Norris. The Idaho native was a stalwart between the sticks for the Pilots, putting together one of the strongest seasons by a freshman Pilot goalkeeper in almost 20 years. An All-WCC Freshman Team selection, Norris racked up 64 saves with a .771 save percentage and eight shutouts in 1,530 minutes in goal. All those totals are the most since legendary Pilot goalkeeper Cori Alexander did so in her freshman season back in 2003.

French noted that Norris got the opportunity to work with Portland Thorns FC this summer, training with a club that's produced the two NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award winners in Michelle Betos (2015) and Adrianna Franch (2017, 2018) under goalkeeping coach Nadine Angerer. From a training perspective, French saw the opportunity as a chance for Norris to add to her toolkit. However, once again, French sees the biggest change Norris has made as more mental.

"When you talk about making mistakes, I think she's given herself a little bit more grace," French said about Norris. "I think as a goalkeeper, if a goal is scored, a lot of times you take that on yourself because you're the last line, but there's so many things that have to happen before a goal is actually scored. And so I think (for) Bre… I think forgiving herself and being able to just take a breath sometimes has been healthy for her."

The Pilots bring in one of the largest recruiting classes since French took over, with 10 newcomers joining Portland. French expects the newcomers to have an immediate impact on the field, and off the field they've already shown a flare that is rare in a freshman class.
    "We hoped that they would choose to be a part of our program because they are – and this goes for characteristics on and off the field – they are unique, they are unpredictable, they are dynamic, they are exciting and they all have a ton of personality," French said.

If there's one team that relishes personality, it's the Pilots. Collier was very positive about the new crop of freshmen. She highlighted that the class comes from all across the continent, from Oregon to California to New York to Quebec, and also noted that their imprint is already being felt.

"They're very just, like, themselves, and they're not afraid to be themselves," Collier said. "That's really cool to see because they're able to influence our team in a very positive and unique way that I think is definitely needed."

The large class come at an important time, with the Pilots searching for replacements for a group of seniors who all impacted the program significantly. Eight seniors graduated last season, several of whom were important parts of the Pilots' system. Taryn Ries was a three-time All-WCC First Team selection and a three-time All-West Region Team selection. Ellie Walker made the All-WCC Second Team last year and played in almost every possible game in her five-year career. Olivia Dendinger played in all 17 games last year with 16 starts and was a multi-time CoSIDA All-District selection.

These above-mentioned players and others leave big shoes for the Pilots to fill. It's something that French, Sawan and Collier all acknowledged. While it can be a daunting task to try and replace such core parts of the program, it's also a challenge this current crop of Pilots is ready to take on.

"There was just a big influence (last year) of the fifth-year senior class which kind of held a lot of the weight of where we were what we're doing and the energy on the team," Collier said. "It's just cool to see this new energy and everyone buying into it and being on the same page."

Utilizing that energy is the goal for the Pilots. Last year, Sawan and Collier both felt that late in the year they nailed down rotations and figured out what formations worked best for them. This year, the hope is to just continue tightening everything technically, becoming a team that handles pressure from opponents more solidly.

"We've really spent a lot of time in training in small spaces, and we did that so we could hopefully be more successful solving pressures, thinking a little bit quicker, cleaner first touch in some situations, reading the game a little bit faster," French said. "Those are the demands that are on you more when you don't have a lot of time."

The more sound they are in those situations, the cleaner the opportunities will be at the goal. Sawan and Collier both echoed what French said, saying they've been working on skills that help capitalize on those looks.

"One of the things I've worked on most this summer is holding up the ball," Sawan said. "Because if the defenders do all the work to win it back and then my touch is off or I can't hold the ball up, that's just a waste and it's not fair to them."

"This summer of training, technically and physically, getting stronger and more fit, it's just going to be super beneficial in terms of being able to score goals faster, being able to press and the ball, keep the ball high up the field and possess it," Collier said.

All the technical know-how is important, but the Pilots are all about culture and personality. The team believes that all the tangible results – wins, goals, etc. – will come as the year progresses, with Sawan, French and Collier all acknowledging that every season has its ups and downs. For the Pilots, it'll be about navigating those ebbs and flows and trusting in one another.

"What I'm hoping to deal with in a positive way is making sure that when we do go through those ups and downs that we can get out of them as quick as possible," Sawan said. "Kind of finding out what is causing those issues and seeing how we can get out of it."

In the end, it all comes back to the same idea: The freedom to embrace the gray areas and play your game. Because in the end, no matter what happens on the field, the team has everyone's back.
"Everyone has to know that it's okay (to make a mistake)," French said. "It's okay if you… make a mistake because you've got a staff that supports you and you've got teammates around you that are going to carry you across the finish line."