SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots had two players named to the 2025 WCC All-Academic Team on Thursday, with Joe Highfield and Efetobo Aror both making the squad. Eight players also earned WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention, with Nicholas Dunbar, Micaah Garnette, Miguel-Angel Hernandez, Sebastian Hernandez, Oliver Jeppe, Wylie Trujillo, Alex Waggoner and Ethan Zamora.
 
Highfield was stellar both in the classroom and on the field. Highfield scored nine goals and tallied five assists for 23 points, ranking third in the WCC in both goals and points and 36^th nationally. He is also fourth in the conference and 33^rd nationally in game-winning goals with three. The only Pilot to record multiple games with multiple goals this year, Highfield earned All-WCC First Team honors earlier this week.
 
Aror makes the All-Academic Team for the first time in his career as well. Aror played in 16 games with 15 starts, notching a goal and an assist. He was crucial both offensively and defensively in the midfield, helping Pilot a deadly Portland offense that ranks seventh nationally in total points (133 points) while aiding a defense that allowed just nine goals this season. Their goals allowed are the fewest since 1988 for the program and rank fourth nationally.
 
It's been a stellar season for the Portland Pilots, who went 13-1-3 overall and 6-1-2 in WCC play for their best regular season record since 1995 and highest winning percentage (.853) since 1988. They qualified for the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship on Monday, earning the 8-seed in the tournament.
 
The Pilots will host a second round NCAA tournament game after earning a first-round bye for the second time in three seasons and the third time in program history. They will play the winner of the first-round game between the UC Irvine Anteaters and the Denver Pioneers on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats and video options.
 
2025 West Coast Conference Men's Soccer All-Academic Team
Kaleb Afsari, San Francisco
Efetobo Aror, Portland
TJ Dilley, Saint Mary's
Matthew Duggan, San Francisco
Paul Fecteau, Oregon State
Gaige Gibbs, Saint Mary's
Joe Highfield, Portland
Kian Jones, San Francisco
Hugo Tavares, LMU
Lars Thorne-Thomsen, Seattle U
Iain Wagner, San Diego
Will Wiersdorf, Santa Clara
 
Honorable Mention Selections
Gonzaga
Alex Bazia
Sam Dahlin
Damoni McKenna-Greenwalt
Robbie Mora
Farhan Moustafa
Geremi Onentia
Drew Pedersen
Chema Preciado
Talan Rochelle
Ian Silva
 
LMU
Lewis Clutton
Adrien Gameiro
Mathew Habovstak
Daniel Idiakhoa
Nathan Rodrigues
 
Oregon State
Fran Cortijo
Andrew De Gannes
 
Pacific
Luca Baltzer
Matteo Carbone
Alberto Cruz
Mateus Ruiz-Hurst
 
Portland
Nicholas Dunbar
Micaah Garnette
Miguel-Angel Hernandez
Sebastian Hernandez
Oliver Jeppe
Wylie Trujillo
Alex Waggoner
Ethan Zamora
 
Saint Mary's
Surafel Abebe
Fynn Allmon
Sam Bentley
Bastian Toelhoej
 
San Diego
Vicente Ayala
Luca Fava
Taj Eagleston
Volodymyr Kubrakov
Josh Martinez
Steven Ramirez
Oliver Rhoades
 
San Francisco
Mason Dougherty
Rylan Smith
Alex Solomis
 
Santa Clara
Pierce Dyal
Quinn Garrett
Jackson Ozburn
Khalil Rashad
Jaiden Windell
 
Seattle U
Luke Hammond
Charlie Lanphier
Andre Philibbosian

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