PORTLAND, Ore. – After an All-American season that led to him being drafted 11
th overall by the Houston Dynamo, Portland Pilots forward Joe Highfield has decided to return to Portland for the Fall of 2026.
"I am extremely blessed and grateful to have been drafted by the Houston Dynamo. Portland has been the best home I could have asked for these past two years, and after such a great season last year, I have decided that I will be back for another fall," Highfield said. "I can't wait to start preparing for next season with such a good group of guys."
Highfield has been stellar in his two seasons of play with the Pilots. Last season, Highfield led the Pilots in scoring with 11 goals and five assists for 27 points. He was second in the WCC in both goals and points, ranking 19
th and 18
th nationally in the two respective categories. His four game-winning goals were 16
th in the nation as well. In two years, he's scored 18 goals, which is the most by a Pilot in their first two years of play since Benji Michel in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Highfield earned numerous honors for his electric year on the pitch. He was an All-WCC First Team selection for the second year in a row and a United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team pick. He was also named a Third Team All-American by United Soccer Coaches.
Highfield is one of 10 players that have been drafted to MLS from Portland, with Paul Christensen (2018), Rey Ortiz (2020), Kevin Bonilla (2024), Jacob Babalai (2024), Buba Fofanah (2024), Efetobo Aror (2025) and Nick Fernandez (2025) all being taken in the SuperDraft, with Fernandez signing with the San Jose Earthquakes in February of this year.
The Pilots put together one of the best seasons in program history this year. Their 14-2-4 record gave them their best winning percentage since 1988 (.800) and helped them earn the 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament. It's the third time in program history the Pilots have earned the first-round bye and the second time under Carlin-Voigt. They advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time under Carlin-Voigt and third time since 1995.
They were one of the best teams statistically this season, ranking third in assists (56), fourth in assists per game (2.75), fifth in goal differential (31), sixth in win-lost-tied percentage (.800) and team goals-against average (.624), seventh in points (142) and points per game (7.05), 12
th in total goals (43) and 13
th in goals per game (2.15). Their 56 assists broke a program record set two years prior.
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