PORTLAND, Ore. – After a strong first week of action, the Portland Pilots host the Siena Saints at home before taking on the Wisconsin Badgers on the road in Madison.
The Pilots host the Saints on Friday, Aug. 29, set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Pilots and Badgers face off on Monday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. Friday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Monday's game will air on B1G+. Check PortlandPilots.com for links live stats and video and go to PortlandPilots.com/Tickets for tickets to Friday's game.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Siena Saints (1-1-0, 0-0-0 MAAC)
Day: Friday
Date: Aug. 29, 2025
Time: 7 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. SIE
Overall Series: 0-1-0
H: 0-1-0
• A: 0-0-0
• N: 0-0-0
Last: @POR 1, SIE 2 (2014)
Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten)
Day: Monday
Date: Sept. 1, 2025
Time: 5 PM
Place: Madison, Wisc.
Pitch: McLimmon Soccer Complex
Video: B1G+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. WIS
Overall Series: 3-1-2
H: 0-0-1
• A: 1-0-0
• N: 2-1-1
Last: POR 1, @WIS 0 (2019)
PEEK IN THE PORT
- The Pilots are 2-0 to start the year after dominant wins over both the Central Arkansas Bears and the Lewis and Clark Pioneers.
- Portland beat Central Arkansas 3-0 to start the year, with goals coming from Nicky Dunbar, David Ajagbe and Joe Highfield were the goalscorers on the day and Dunbar's opening goal proving to be the game-winner. Dunbar scored the winning goal in last year's season opener as well.
- The Pilots are undefeated in season openers dating back to 2018.
- Against the Pioneers, Portland dominated with a 9-0 win over Lewis & Clark, featuring eight different goalscorers: Nicky Dunbar, Alex Waggoner, David Ajagbe, Jordan Barclay, Joe Highfield, Christian Mendoza, Parker Jackson and Oliver Jeppe.
- Dunbar's two goals on the day led the Pilots and put him in the team lead for goals this year at three. It was the first goals of the season for Waggoner, Barclay, Mendoza, Jackson and Jeppe and the first of Barclay's, Mendoza's and Jackson's careers.
- Portland holds now an unbeaten streak of 12 games that goes back to last season.
- After the dominant weekend, the Pilots lead the country in 11 different statistical categories, including goals (12), assists (14), points (38), goals-against average (0.00), shutout percentage (1.000), save percentage (1.000), goals per game (6.00), goal differential (12), points per game (19.00) and assists per game (7.00).
- Highfield, Diego Rosas and Ethan Zamora each have multiple assists, with Highfield's three assists currently ranking third in the nation. Highfield's seventh nationally in points at the moment with seven total.
- Dunbar's three goals are sixth nationally while also leading the WCC. He's second in total points at six.
- The Pilots are coming off a 7-4-7 season overall and an undefeated 4-0-4 conference season. Their 10-game unbeaten streak to end the season was the longest on the West Coast, and they beat four teams that finished the year in the top 35 in RPI.
- This year, they were picked to finish third in the 2025 West Coast Conference Preseason Poll, with forward Joe Highfield and midfielder Efetobo Aror each making the preseason team.
- Highfield was the first Pilot to make the All-WCC First Team and the All-WCC Freshman Team in the same season since Benji Michel in 2016, scoring seven goals and adding three assists. His four goals and three assists against WCC opponents were the second most in the conference.
- Aror was drafted in the first round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft this past year by the Colorado Rapids but chose to return. The WCC Freshman of the Year in 2023, he played in 10 matches with six starts, recording a goal and assist.
- Aror, along with Pilot newcomer David Ajagbe, was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 players in the preseason, slotting in at 52nd. Ajagbe ranks 99th on the list.
- Ajagbe scored seven goals and added two assists with the Ohio State Buckeyes last season, who earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament last year. Ajagbe made the All-Big Ten Freshman team and the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI Second Team.
- Last season, the Pilots were a dynamic offensive team, ranking second in the WCC in goals per game (1.78), total assists (44), total points (108), points per game (6.00) and assists per game (2.44). Their 2.44 assists per game ranked ninth nationally while their assist total ranked 14th.
- The Pilots also were in the top 50 nationally in points per game, (21st), total points (27th), goals per game (44th) and total goals (32, 46th).
- The Pilots return 16 players from last year's roster while welcoming 16 newcomers. The incoming class ranks fifth nationally on TopDrawerSoccer.
- Of the 16 returners, Portland returns three players who earned All-WCC honors: Highfield, Miguel-Angel Hernandez (Second Team) and Diego Rosas (Honorable Mention).
- Hernandez played in seven matches last year, posting shutouts in three of those matches.
- Rosas led the Pilots in assists in his second season with the Pilots, posting eight assists. He was the third Pilot since 2017 to post at least three assists in a game, doing so against the LMU Lions.
- Nick Carlin-Voigt enters his 10th year as head coach of the Pilots. He has posted a 92-46-21 record during his tenure, having led Portland to the NCAA Tournament five times during that span.
- Carlin-Voigt was at the helm when the Pilots advanced to the Elite Eight in 2022, their first appearance that deep in the tournament since 1995.
ABOUT THE SAINTS
- The Siena Saints are 1-1-0 to start the season, with a loss to No. 8 UMass Minutemen and a 3-1 win over the Boston College Eagles.
- Last year, the Saints went 7-5-6 overall and 4-1-3 in the MAAC, advancing to the semifinals of the MAAC Championships.
- Siena was picked to finish third in the MAAC 2025 Men's Soccer Preseason Poll and had two players make the preseason team: Mario Navarro Perez and Bennet Glinder.
- Perez was an All-MAAC Third Team selection last season after scoring six goals in 18 games. Glinder made the second team and was second in the conference in goals-against average (1.001), shutouts (6) and save percentage (.739).
- Graciano Brito is in his sixth season at the helm of the Siena Saints. He's posted a 34-31-16 record over that span.
ABOUT THE BADGERS
- The Wisconsin Badgers are 1-1-0 after starting the season with a loss the reigning ASUN champions in North Florida and a victory over Bradley 4-1.
- Last season, they went 7-5-3 and 2-5-3 in Big Ten play, finishing 10th in the conference.
- The Badgers were picked to finish eighth this season in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, with Matise Hebert, Ellis Jones, Jr. and Matthew Zachemski all named Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch.
- Hebert started in 14 matches last season in goal for the Badgers, posting a 1.04 goals-against average with 24 saves.
- Jones played the full 180 minutes in both contests for the Badgers this year. Jones played and started in 13 matches last year, scoring a goal.
- Zachemski played and started 14 games last season, notching three goals and three assists.
- Neil Jones is in his fourth season as head coach of the Badgers. He is 20-17-13 for his tenure.
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