PORTLAND PILOTS (6-2-3, 0-0-0 WCC)
WEEK 8: @ San Francisco & No. 10 Santa Clara
 
San Francisco Dons
(4-5-1, 0-1-1 WCC)
Day: Wednesday
Date: Oct. 2, 2024
Time: 6 PM
Place: San Francisco, Calif.
Pitch: Negoesco Stadium
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. USF
Overall Series: 31-3-3
H: 17-1-1  •  A: 13-2-2  •  N: 1-0-0
Last: @POR 4, USF 1 (2023)
 
No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos
(7-2-1, 1-0-0 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Oct. 5, 2024
Time: 1 PM
Place: Santa Clara, Calif.
Pitch: Stevens Stadium
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. SCU
Overall Series: 16-23-4
H: 9-8-2  •  A: 4-15-2 •  N: 2-0-0
Last: @POR 0, SCU 1
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots are on the road this week, playing the San Francisco Dons on Wednesday, Oct. 2 before playing the No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday, Oct. 5.
• Kickoff for the matchup against the Dons is set for 6 p.m. and the match against the Broncos will start at 1 p.m.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
 
LAST WEEK FOR THE PILOTS
• The Pilots started WCC play on a high note, taking down the Saint Mary's Gaels 3-1 at Merlo Field. The win came despite the Pilots playing a man down from the 32nd minute onward.
• Violet Rademacher, Cally Togiai and Brooke Miller all scored on the day for Portland. It was the first goal of the year for Rademacher and the fifth goals for both Togiai and Miller.
• Miller's five goals are the most she's had in a season for her career.
• Bre Norris was electric in goal for Portland, recording a career-high 10 saves. That's the highest save total for any Pilot in a match since 2018.
• Norris is just the fourth WCC player to earn at least 10 saves in a match this year.
• The Pilots have won their WCC opener each of the last three years.
 
STANDOUT STATISTICS
• The Pilots currently lead the WCC in save percentage (.868), shutout percentage (.455), goals-against average (.636), total goals (27), assists (19), points (73), points per game (6.64), goals per game (2.45), goal differential (20) and assists per game (1.73).
• Nationally, they are 16th in goal differential, 20th in save percentage, 24th in scoring offense and 26th in total goals.
• Their 27 goals through 11 games are the most they've had through that many games since 2009.
• Individually, Norris is currently first in save percentage (.860), second in goals-against average (.722) and third in shutouts (three) and saves (43). Her save percentage is 27th nationally.
• Norris moved to third for Portland all-time in career saves with her performance on Saturday, now sitting at 243. Her 33 shutouts are also third all-time for Portland.
• Still's seven goals ranks first in the conference and 40th nationally. She is the first Pilot to seven goals in just 11 games since Hannah Griffiths Boston in 2016.
• Still's 14 points are also the most in conference.
• Miller and Cally Togiai also both sit at five goals on the year, good for fourth in the WCC.
• This is the third season in a row where the Pilots have earned a result in nine of the first 11 games of the season.
 
LAST SEASON FOR THE PILOTS
• The Portland Pilots finished last season at 10-4-3 with a 4-3-1 record in WCC play. Their overall record gave them their best winning percentage since 2013.
• With at least 10 wins each of the last two years, the Pilots have posted back-to-back seasons with at least 10 wins for the first time in since 2013 as well.
• It was the fastest the Pilots have reached 10 wins since 2018, Michelle French's first year in charge of the Pilots. It's also the third time under French that they've posted at least 10 wins on the year.
• The Pilots were dominant defensively last year, leading the conference in goals-against average (.529), save percentage (.839) and shutout percentage (.647). Nationally, they were second in shutout percentage and ninth in goals-against average.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
• The Pilots were picked to finish fourth in the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll and had two players selected to the All-WCC Preseason Team: Bre Norris and Cally Togiai.
• Norris is coming off a stellar season that saw her post an .836 save percentage in 17 games with a goals-average of just.529 and 11 shutouts. She led the WCC in save percentage, goals-against average and shutouts, and she ranked 11th and eighth nationally in the latter two categories.
• Norris's stellar season won her WCC Goalkeeper of the Year and also saw her make the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team.
• Norris was also named for the second year in a row a United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper to Watch and for the first time in her career to the MAC Hermann Watch List.
• Togiai, meanwhile, posted the second most points of any returning Pilot with seven, tallying a goal and four assists. She was an All-WCC Second Team selection and an All-West Region third team pick.
 
ALL ABOUT THE PLAYERS
• The Pilots have 18 players returning this season after losing nine, along with seven newcomers for the season.
• Four Pilots return that earned All-WCC honors last year: Norris, Togiai, Katana Norman and Violet Rademacher.
• Norman was an All-WCC Honorable Mention selection as a defender, playing a key role as an outside back for the Pilots.
• Rademacher earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors after scoring four goals last year in her first season of competition. All four of those goals were game-winners for the Pilots.
• Rademacher has the highest point total of any returning player for Portland.
• Among other notable returners is Shay Adams, who spent last season on the sideline with an injury but returns for a fifth year in 20214.
• Adams was an All-WCC First Team selection in 2022 and an All-West Region Second Team selection.
• Seven of Portland's 18 returners started in at least 10 games last year and 12 of them played in at least 10 games last season. Among those starters who have not yet been mentioned are Keeley Dockter and Elianna Wong.
• Dockter is a fixture in the midfield for the Pilots, scoring one goal on the year against San Francisco. Her sister, Aliyah Dockter, joined the Pilots last season, playing in all games with six starters.
• Wong spent time along the back line for the Pilots last year, bringing some versatility to the lineup. She tallied one assist on the year.
• Isabella Yakel played 16 games with 10 starts for Portland, playing both as a defender and a midfielder.
• Brooke Miller played in all 17 games for Portland last year, scoring one goal as a forward.
• Kayla Adams, Hailey Bagby and Nina Rhode also all played at least 10 games for Portland last season. Adams was one of just two Pilots to score multiple goals in a game, doing so against San Diego.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The San Francisco Dons are 4-5-1 on the year and 0-1-1 in WCC play. Last year, the Dons finished 6-9-3 overall and 3-4-1 in WCC play to place sixth in the conference.
• The Pilots defeated the Dons 4-1 at home last year and are 31-3-3 all-time against them.
• The Broncos are ranked 10th in the nation at 7-2-1 overall and 1-0 in WCC play. They were 14-4-2 overall and 6-2 in WCC play to finish in a tie for second points-wise.
• The Broncos beat the Pilots 1-0 at Merlo Field last season.
• Pinder Nijjar is in his first season as head coach of the Dons while Jerry Smith is in his 38th in charge of the Broncos.
 
THE STAFF
• UP alum Michelle French is entering her seventh year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French has posted a 60-43-21 record in her six 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.
• Associate head coaches Maite Zabala and Tina Frimpong Ellertson are in their seventh and second years with the women's soccer program. They are the first and third associate head coaches in program history.
• The staff was named the West Region Staff of the Year by United Soccer Coaches, the first time they've earned the honor, in 2022.
• Frimpong Ellertson is a former US National Team player and was Pac-10 Player of the Year back in 2004 with the Washington Huskies.
• Ken Krolicki joins the Pilots as an assistant coach after a year with Yale's men's team. Krolicki was a two-time All-Big Ten selection with Michigan State, spent two seasons with C.F. Montreal and also one year with Portland Timbers 2.
 
THE HISTORY
• Portland has a strong women's soccer tradition and is one of just seven 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 postseason 22 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).
 
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.
• Megan Rapinoe is one of the most famous alumni, winning a national championship with the Pilots back in 2005 before becoming a mainstay of women's soccer.
• The Portland Thorns claim the legendary Christine Sinclair, who has spent her entire NWSL career in Portland.
• Sinclair helped the Thorns win three NWSL Championships (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields in 2016 and 2021 and the Women's International Champions Cup.
• Sophie Schmidt was a fixture for both Canada's national team as well as the NWSL, spending her final seasons with the Houston Dash
• Taryn Ries played most recently with MSV Duisburg in Germany. Pilot alum Natalie Muth also currently plays with Duisburg.
• Ellie Walker signed her first pro contract last summer with Portugese side S.C.U Toronese. and currently plays for SC Braga.
• Former Pilot Larkin Russell plays for Swedish side Vaxjo DFF. 

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