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2026 Portland Men's Soccer
2025 Steven Gibbons

Men's Soccer

No. 6 Pilots Open Regular Season at Merlo Field Against Cal

PORTLAND, Ore. – The season is here! The sixth-ranked Portland Pilots Men's Soccer team opens the 2026 season against the California Golden Bears tomorrow, Aug. 21 at Merlo Field. Kickoff time is set for 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats and video options.
  
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: California Golden Bears (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC)
Day: Friday
Date: Aug. 21, 2026
Time: 7 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Pitch: Merlo Field
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. CAL
Overall Series: 5-6-2
H: 2-2-0 • A: 3-4-2 • N: 0-1-0
Last: @POR 2, CAL 0 (2024)
 
LAST SEASON FOR PORTLAND
• The Portland Pilots finished 14-2-4 on the year and finished 6-1-2 in WCC play. Their 13 wins in the regular season were the most since 1995 and they currently hold their best by win percentage (.800) since 1988.
• Their 12 home wins were the most in program history as well.
• The Pilots made the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time since 2016, earning a first-round bye and advancing to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last four seasons.
• Portland defeated the Denver Pioneers in penalty kicks for their first ever playoff victory in PKs in the second round before beating the Grand Canyon Antelopes in the Sweet 16. Portland fell to the Furman Paladins in their first ever home quarterfinal game.
• The Pilots were one of the top teams in the nation statistically, ranking fourth nationally in assists per game (2.75), fifth in goal differential (31), win percentage (.800), assists (56) and goals-against average (.624), seventh in points per game (7.05), ninth in total points (141), 12th in goals (43) and shutout percentage (.500) and 14th in goals per game (2.15).
• Portland's 56 assists broke the program record set just two years prior for assists in a season.
• Portland has scored 171 goals in the last four seasons, the most of any team in the nation during that span.
• The Pilots allowed just 12 goals on the year, the fewest by any Pilot team since 1988.
• The Pilots posted a 23-game unbeaten streak that stretched between 2024 and last season, the longest in program history and the second longest in the nation.
• The Pilots reached No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, their first No. 1 ranking ever in the poll and their first in any poll since 1992. They were ranked in the top 10 for 10 straight weeks.
• Portland finished the season with a postseason ranking of sixth in the United Soccer Coaches final top 25 poll, their highest ever postseason ranking in the poll.
 
PILOTS AT THE TOP
• Entering the 2026 season, the Pilots have been recognized as a force to contend with, ranking sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll and fourth in the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Top 25.
• Their preseason ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll is their highest ever in that poll while their ranking fourth is the highest in any preseason poll since 1989.
 
THE FAVORITES ONCE AGAIN
• In the 2026 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Pilots were picked to finish first in the WCC. It's the second time since 2023 they've been picked first in the poll.
• Four Pilots were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team as well: David Ajagbe, Efetobo Aror, Joe Highfield and Diego Rosas.
• Portland's four players are the most of any other team in the conference and tied for the most players they've had on a team since 2022. Four players also matches a program record.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION ABOUND
• Along with the WCC recognition, numerous Pilots have earned national individual accolades ahead of the 2026 season.
• Three Pilots made the MAC Hermann Watch List, the most any team in the nation.
• Along with that, Portland's eight players across the four positional watch lists from United Soccer Coaches and five players in the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 were both tied for the most for any team in the nation.
• Rosas has landed on numerous watch lists and preseason teams nationally, making the MAC Hermann Watch List, the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch List and the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI First Team. He was ranked 10th on TDS's Top 100 players list as well.
• Last year, Rosas was named the WCC Midfielder of the Year while also making the All-WCC First Team. He's second Pilot in the last three seasons as well as ever to win the award.
• Rosas has 15 assists on the season, which is tied for the most in the nation. His 15 assists also broke a program record set in 1991 by Joe Leonetti and are the most by a WCC player since 1994. His eight assists in conference play were also the most by a WCC player since 2005.
• Highfield has earned similar honors, making United Soccer Coaches' Attackers to Watch list and MAC Hermann Watch List as well as making the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI Third Team. He was 30th on TDS's Top 100 players list.
• Highfield led the Pilots in scoring with 11 goals and five assists after making the All-WCC First Team for the second straight year. Highfield was second in both goals and points (27) in the conference, ranking 19th and 18th nationally in those respective categories. Four of those goals were game winners, ranking third in the WCC and 16th nationally.
• With 18 goals through his first two seasons, Highfield's had the most goals through two seasons since Benji Michel.
• Miguel-Angel Hernandez rounds out the MAC Hermann Watch List honorees, with Portland's three players being the most by any team in the nation. He was also named a goalkeeper to watch by United Soccer Coaches.
• An All-WCC Second Team pick and an All-West Region First Team selection, Hernandez was a fortress in goal, posting nine shutouts with a .624 goals-against average and a .786 save percentage. His save percentage ranked first in the WCC and 26th nationally and his goals-against average second in the conference and seventh nationally.
• Ajagbe and Isaac Emojong were both named attackers to watch by United Soccer Coaches as well, with Ajagbe making the TDS Top 100, coming in at 56th.
• Ajagbe led the Pilots in scoring in the regular season last year with 10 goals and four assists on the year for 24 points. He was second in the conference in goals and third in points, ranking 28th and 37th nationally in those categories.
• Ajagbe's five game-winning goals are tied for the most in the WCC and are also tied for sixth nationally. It was the highest total of game-winning goals for a Pilot since Brandon Cambridge in 2022.
• Ajagbe was the first Pilot to score at least 10 goals in his debut season since Benji Michel did so in 2016. He earned All-WCC First Team honors and All-West Region Second Team honors as well.
• Emojong is a transfer for Portland coming from Utah Valley, where he was an All-WAC Second Team and All-Far West Region Second Tema honors. Emojong scored six goals with two assists as a midfielder for the Wolverines.
• Aror and Nikos Clarke-Tosczak wrap up the Pilots to earn preseason recognition nationally, ranking 34th and 39th respectively in the TDS Top 100.
• Aror has played in 19 matches with 18 starts for Portland, notching a goal and assist while controlling the game in the midfield. He was an All-WCC Second Team pick.
• Clarke-Tosczak played the most minutes of any Pilot last year at 1,643, notching four assists playing at left back. His four assists were tied for fourth on the Pilots this season, and he was crucial in helping the Pilots allow just 12 goals all year.
 
THE PLAYERS
• The Pilots return 23 players from last year's roster and add 10 newcomers to the group.
• Among those 23 returners, seven of them earned some form of All-WCC honors: Highfield, Ajagbe, Rosas, Aror, Hernandez, Clarke-Tosczak and Christian Mendoza.
• Highfield, Ajagbe, Rosas and Hernandez all earned All-West Region honors as well, with Highfield and Rosas earning All-American honors.
• Mendoza was an All-WCC Freshman Team selection that scored one goal with two assists in 12 matches played.
• Of the 23 returners, nine of them played 900 minutes or more last season.
• One of those key returners is Anton Hjalmarsson, who played in 17 matches with eight starts in his first year with Portland. He scored four goals with three assists, with two of his goals being game winners.
• Alex Waggoner played in all 20 matches with six starts, scoring three goals (two game winners) and one assist.
• Nicky Dunbar played just 318 minutes last year but scored three goals in that span.
• Angel Martinez played second most minutes of any returning field player for the Pilots, clocking in at exactly 1,600. A crucial center back for Portland, Martinez recorded two assists while anchoring the Pilot defense.
• Ethan Zamora was also a crucial part of the back line, playing 1,077 minutes with one goal and four assists as an outside back.
• Portland once again has a highly touted recruiting class, ranking 14th among all schools in TopDrawerSoccer's final D1 recruiting rankings with the fourth best transfer recruiting clas.
• Portland's incoming class of 10 players features eight transfers and two freshmen.
• The two freshmen for Portland are Kruz Held and Adriano Samayoa.
• Samayoa was a part of LAFC's academy and spent the last season playing with Eture FC.
• Held, meanwhile, is a stellar defender who ranked 61st in TopDrawerSoccer's class of 2026 rankings. A product of the Chicago Fire Academy and a member of the Charleston Battery, Held also has experience with the U.S. Youth National Team, playing with the U-15 and U-18 teams in a training camp in 2023 and 2026 respectively.
• Portland's transfers include Isaac Emojong, Olayinka Ogonleye, Oksar Kaufmann, Dominic Berrios, Justin Nelson, Denzel Akyirem, Nick Bishop and Javier Hernandez.
• Ogunleye transfers from Louisville, where he played in 29 matches with 28 starts over two years. Ogunleye was ranked 89th in the TDS Midseason Top 100 last year.
• Emojong is a transfer for Portland coming from Utah Valley, where he was an All-WAC Second Team and All-Far West Region Second Tema honors. Emojong scored six goals with two assists as a midfielder for the Wolverines.
• Kaufmann was a solid attacker at USC Upstate last season, scoring 11 goals with an assist. Prior to that, he played at Coker University in Division II, scoring 12 goals with seven assists to be named the SAC Freshman of the Year in 2024.
• Berrios is a familiar player for Portland, having played with a fellow WCC team, the Pacific Tigers, last year. Berrios played in 16 games with 13 starts, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
• Justin Nelson is a Division II transfer from Rollins College, where he led the Tars to a Division II NCAA Tournament final. He was an All-SSC Second Team selection with 10 goals and five assists.
• Akyirem is a junior college transfer who played in 19 games for Tyler Junior College.
• Hernandez is the brother of goalkeeper Miguel-Angel Hernandez, joining the Pilots from North Carolina. Hernandez palyed in seven games with one start in Chapel Hill.
• Bishop rounds out the transfers, coming off a redshirt year at Pitt.
 
THE STAFF
• Carlin-Voigt is in his 11th year at the helm of the Pilots. With over 100 wins, he's just the third coach to reach the mark for the Pilots.
• In his first year on The Bluff he led Portland to an improbable turn-around en route to the 2016 WCC title and an NCAA Playoff berth.
• It was the program's first WCC Championship since 2002, and it was their first trip to the NCAA postseason since 2009.
• Since then, the Pilots have posted
• Carlin-Voigt, who came to The Bluff from UCLA during the winter of 2016, was named one of the Top 10 American Coaches under 40 by Top Drawer Soccer in 2017.
• The Pilots are in their fourth year with their full technical staff, with Matthew Deemer, Ben Simon and Alex Hockborn all as assistant coaches.
 
THE HISTORY
• The Pilots claim renowned men's soccer alums Kasey Keller, Steve Cherundolo, Conor Casey, Nate Jaqua, Heath Pearce, and 2015 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Luis Robles.
• In 1988, legendary coach Clive Charles led Keller and the Pilots to the school's first ever NCAA College Cup; the Pilots returned to the College Cup in 1995.
• The Pilots have made 20 appearances in the NCAA Postseason all-time, which includes two appearances in the College Cup (1988 & 1995).
 
PILOTS IN THE PROS
• Portland has a long tradition of sending players to the pros, with several athletes playing at the next level.
• This past year, the Pilots had two players drafted in the first round of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft: Joe Highfield and Nikos Clarke-Tosczak. Both elected to return to the Pilots this season.
• Five players on the team were drafted to MLS teams within the last two seasons: Highfield, Clarke-Tosczak, Efetobo Aror, Oguneleye and Emojong.
• Two former Pilots, Sebastian Hernandez and Sebastian Nava, have both earned opportunities in MLS, signing short-term contracts with LA Galaxy and LAFC respectively.
• The Pilots had Aror and Nick Fernadnez each taken in the MLS SuperDraft in 2025. Fernandez currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes after being taken in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
• In 2024, the Pilots had three players taken in the MLS SuperDraft, a first in program history.
• Kevin Bonilla was taken in the first round of the draft by Real Salt Lake, becoming the first Pilot taken in the first round since 2011.
• Jacob Babalai was taken in the second round of the SuperDraft by Charlotte FC while Fofanah was taken in the third round.
• Benji Michel, who played with the Pilots from 2016-18, signed a homegrown contract with Orlando City SC back in 2018 and has even earned call-ups to the U.S. Men's National Team's U-23 and senior squad. He currently plays for Ulsan HD in the K League.
• Brandon Cambridge signed with MLS side Charlotte FC, Gurman Sangha signed an MLSNext Pro contract with Charlotte and Delentz Pierre signed a homegrown contract with Real Salt Lake after the 2022 season.
• Additionally, alum Luis Robles has carved out an impressive career with the Red Bulls and he was named the 2015 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
• On March 11, 2017, Robles set an MLS record for consecutive league starts with 142, and he's run that streak to 183, spanning from September 2012 to May 2018.
• Robles also became the first player in club history to record 50 clean sheets on April 15, 2017 after a 2-0 victory against D.C. United.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The California Golden Bears are coming off an 8-8-2 season and a 2-5-1 record in ACC play.
• The last time the Pilots and Golden Bears played, the Pilots came out on top 2-0 at Merlo Field.
• Cal was picked to finish 13th in the annual ACC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll, with Florentino Junior being the loan player on the ACC Preseason Watch List.
• Leonard Griffin, a former assistant coach with the Pilots, is in his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Bears. In his four seasons, he's posted a 26-30-15 record. 
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