LOGAN, Utah – Portland Pilots Women's Soccer continues their road slate with a trip to Utah to take on the Utah State Aggies and the Utah Tech Trailblazers. They take on the Aggies on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m. PDT and the Trailblazers on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
Opponent: Utah State Aggies (0-1-1, 0-0-0 Pac-12)
Day: Thursday
Date: Aug. 20, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM
Place: Logan, Utah
Pitch: Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field
Video: YouTube
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. USU
Overall Series: 1-0-0
H: 1-0-0
• A: 0-0-0
• N: 0-0-0
Last: @POR 2, USU 1 (2025)
Opponent: Utah Tech Trailblazers (0-1-1, 0-0-0 Big Sky)
Day: Sunday
Date: Aug. 23, 2026
Time: 10 AM
Place: St. George, Utah
Pitch: Greater Zion Stadium
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
POR vs. UTU
Overall Series: 0-0-0
H: 0-0-0
• A: 0-0-0
• N: 0-0-0
Last: N/A
THIS SEASON FOR THE PILOTS
• Portland opened the season with a road contest against the then-No. 12 Washington Huskies.
• The Pilots battled, but ultimately fell 1-0 to the Huskies. Sophia Hills recorded two saves in the contest.
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 70-45-27 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
• Ellie Walker currently plays in New Zealand with the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League
• Former Pilot Larkin Russell plays for Swedish Malmo FF
• Keeley Dockter earned the chance to play professionally, signing with Seattle Reign this past year.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Utah State Aggies opened the 2026 season with a loss to a ranked Kansas squad and a tie against the Michigan Wolverines.
• Last year, they went 10-6-7 and 5-2-3 in the Mountain West, winnin the Mountain West Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They have won three straight Mountain West Titles.
• The Pilots defeated Utah State in their matchup last season 2-1 at Merlo Field.
• 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.
• Picked to win the Pac-12 title in their first year in the conference, Utah State had three players named to the preseason Impact List: Kaeda Wilson, Kunie Hirai and Mia Lopez.
• Manny Martins is in his sixth season as head coach of the Aggies. He's posted a 63-27-25 record in that span with three NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Utah Tech Trailblazers are also 0-1-1 to start the year, tying UC Irvine on the road before falling to UC San Diego.
• Last season, they went 8-7-5 overall and 4-4-2 in the WAC to take third in the conference.
• Utah Tech joins the Big Sky this season, placing third in the preseason poll. Jocelyn Wright and Bre Koscielski.
• Lexi Brown has gone 21-22-16 in her four seasons as head coach of the Trailblazers.
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