SEATTLE, Wash. – Portland Pilots Women's Soccer is back! They head up to Seattle for a showdown against the No. 12 Washington Huskies on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stream on B10+ and live stats.
 
Opponent: No. 12 Washington Huskies
Day: Wednesday
Date: Aug. 12, 2026
Time: 7 PM
Place: Seattle, Wash.
Pitch: Husky Field
Video: B1G+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. UW
Overall Series: 29-9-4
H: 14-5-3  •  A: 10-4-2 •  N: 5-0-0
Last: @POR 1, UW 1 (2022)
 
LAST SEASON FOR THE PILOTS
• The Portland Pilots went 10-3-6 overall and 7-1-3 in WCC play. It was their best season in conference play since the 2013 season.
• Portland's seven conference wins were the most they've posted in WCC play since that year and their win percentage the highest (.773) since that season. They took second in the conference.
• Portland shut out 10 opponents last season, the most clean sheets in a season since 2023.
• Sophia Hills has been in goal for 10 nine of those clean sheets. It's the most by any Pilot goalkeeper since Bre Norris in 2023.
• Seven different Pilots have scored this season: Violet Rademacher (7), Hailey Still (3), Hailey Bagby (2), Mao Ito (2), Aliyah Dockter (1), Tayvi Khann (1) and Jillian McBride (1).
• The Pilots ranked second in the conference in goals-against average (.632) and shutout percentage (.526), allowing just 12 goals in 19 matches. They were 11th and 22nd nationally in those respective categories.
• Numerous Pilots earned postseason honors last year, with five garnering All-WCC honors: Keeley Dockter, Violet Rademacher, Sophia Hills, Hailey Bagby and Aliyah Dockter.
• Keeley Dockter earned WCC Defender of the Year honors as well as first team recognition, becoming the first Pilot to win that honor since 2013. Dockter also made the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team.
• Rademacher, a center back, racked up numerous honors, making the first team for All-WCC as well as the second team for All-West Region. Portland's leading scorer last year with seven goals, Rademacher was also the first Pilot to earn United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American honors since 2009.
• Rademacher made the Scholar All-West Region Second Team as well, along with fellow Pilot midfielder Aliyah Dockter. Dockter earned All-WCC Honorable Mention for her performance on the field and All-West Region second team recognition.
• Hills was stellar in her first full season in goal, earning All-WCC and All-West Region Second Team honors. She led the conference and ranked 11th nationally in goals-against average (.595) while also ranking second in shutouts (10) and save percentage (.838).
• Bagby rounds out the honorees after earning All-WCC honorable mention last year. She was one of five players to score multiple goals last year.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
• The Pilots were picked to finish second in the 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll, the highest they've been picked in the poll under head coach Michelle French.
• Three Pilots made the Preseason All-WCC team: Violet Rademacher, Aliyah Dockter and Hailey Bagby. It's the first time any of the three players have made the preseason team.
• Rademacher and Dockter have both earned national recognition as well, with Rademacher making the United Soccer Coaches 2026 Defenders to Watch List and Dockter the Midfielders to Watch List.
• Sophia Hills was also named to the Goalkeepers to Watch List for United Soccer Coaches, making it three players for Portland.
 
ALL ABOUT THE PLAYERS
• The Pilots have 20 players returning this fall from last season's squad and nine newcomers, including four of their five All-WCC honorees last year (Rademacher, A. Dockter, Hills and Bagby).
• Eight of Portland's available returners played over 800 minutes last year and six over 1,000. Seven Pilots started in over 10 games for Portland last year.
• Along with the All-WCC returners, the Pilots bring back fifth-year players Eli Rapp and Ruby Settle.
• Rapp played 1,571 minutes last year, the fourth most of any returning player in the field. AN outside back, she recorded one assist while guiding the defense.
• Settle played in 17 matches with 13 starts last year, notching two assists while Piloting the midfield.
• Mao Ito is one of four players returning who scored multiple goals last year with two. She appeared in 15 matches.
• Tayvi Khan, Kyah Zurek and Adison Bosa are the last three Pilots to have played in over 15 games last year.
• Khann played in all 19 games last year and scored one game-winning goal against Washington State. Zurek and Bosa played in 18 and 17 games respectively.
• Nine newcomers join the Pilots this season, with three joining via transfer.
• Rose Calkins joins the Pilots after spending the last two seasons at Arizona. She played in 27 matches during her time with the Wildcats, recording four assists.
• Justi Nelson joins Portland as a senior by way of SEMO. She played in 53 matches with 50 starts, scoring three goals with four assists. In 2023, she made the OVC All-Newcomer team.
• London Ingram shined with Butler Community College in her two years there, scoring 27 goals with three assists. She was an All-KJCCC First Team selection each of her two years with the Grizzlies.
• Journey Middleborn joins the Pilots from Washington State, playing in 18 games with seven starts. Middleborn scored three goals for the Cougars.
• Portland's five freshmen this season are Cate Kovats, Lauren Efraimson, Sophia Ashtar, Jailynn Henry and Blayke Warner.
• Kovats (Washington), Efraimson (Oregon) and Warner (Washington) all hail from the Pacific Northwest while Ashtar and Henry come from Georgia and Nevada respectively.
 
THE STAFF
• UP alum Michelle French is entering her ninth year as head coach of the Pilots.
• French has posted a 70-44-27 record in her eight 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 ninth and fourth 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 joined the Pilots in 2024 as an assistant coach. 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 eight 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 before retiring in 2024.
• 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.
• Bre Norris earned the chance to play professionally, signing with Angel City FC this past year.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Washington Huskies are ranked 12th in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and fourth in TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 25.
• Last year, they had a stellar season at 15-3-7 and 8-1-2 in Big Ten play, finishing atop their conference. They advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament last season.
• The Pilots tied 1-1 in their last matchup at Merlo Field. The last time they played in Seattle, Portland eked out the 1-0 win.
• Washington was picked to finish third in the Big Ten this season, with Alex Buck, Tanner Ijams and Lucy Newlin all making the Players to Watch list.
• Buck scored nine goals with five assists to lead the Huskies last year, earning first team All-American and Big Ten honors.
• Ijams made the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI with 11 solo clean sheets to tie the program record for Washington. She was a TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI selection.
• Newlin has made 60 appearances with 51 starts over four years for the Huskies, leading the Big Ten last year with 2,168 minutes played.
• Nicole Van Dyke enters her seventh year with the Huskies, posting a 60-33-27 record during that span. She holds a 163-131-62 record in her coaching career overall.

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