PORTLAND PILOTS (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
WEEK 1: vs. Cal Poly Mustangs & Stonehill Skyhawks
 
Cal Poly Mustangs
(0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big West)
Day: Thursday
Date: Aug. 15, 2024
Time: 7 PM
Place: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Pitch: Mustang Memorial Field
Video/Stats: ESPN+/PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. CPU
Overall Series: 2-0-2
H: 2-0-0  •  A: 0-0-1  •  N: 0-0-1
Last: @POR 2, CPU 0 (2023)
 
Stonehill Skyhawks
(0-0-0, 0-0-0 NEC)
Day: Sunday
Date: Aug. 18, 2024
Time: 1 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video/Stats: ESPN+/PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. STONE
Overall Series: 1-0-0
H: 0-0-0  •  A: 1-0-0 •  N: 0-0-0
Last: POR 4, @STONE 0 (2023)
 
THIS WEEK
• Soccer is back on The Bluff! The 2024 season is here, with women's soccer opening the year against the Cal Poly Mustangs and Stonehill Skyhawks.
• They will play the Mustangs on Thursday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. in San Luis Obispo and the Skyhawsk on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. at Merlo Field.
• Links for video streams and live stats can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
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.
• 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
• Portland played both opponents last season, taking both contests.
• The Cal Mustangs went 10-8-3 with a 6-3-1 record in Big West play last season. They advanced to the Big West Tournament championship before falling to UC Irvine.
• The Stonehill Skyhawks went 2-13-1 last season. Stonehill is one of the few Holy Cross schools in the country, playing in what is now known as the Cross and Anchors Classic.
• Alex Crozier is in his 33rd year in charge of the Mustangs while Alex Wilson is in her 12th season.
 
THE STAFF
• UP alum Michelle French is entering her sixth year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French has posted a 55-41-18  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 Logan Emory are in their sixth and fifth years with the women's soccer program. They became the first associate head coaches in program history this past year.
• The staff was named the West Region Staff of the Year by United Soccer Coaches, the first time they've earned the honor.
• Assistant coach Tina Frimpong Ellertson joins the staff this year as well. Frimpong Ellertson is a former US National Team player and was Pac-10 Player of the Year back in 2004 with the Washington Huskies.
 
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.