Welcome back to the University of Portland and welcome to this semester’s first edition of Pilots Weekly RoundUP. The school year has just started and UP sports are in full swing. If you haven't been able to read up about recent games, there’s no need to wait any longer. Put your homework down and read this weekly summary of intense Pilot sports action.
Men’s Soccer:
The men’s soccer team has enjoyed several good results since the beginning of the season, launching them up to rank third in the nation. This is their highest ranking achieved since 1992.
Last Monday, the Pilots picked apart a strong Utah Valley University team on Merlo Field and earned a 6-0 victory. The goals were shared by several members of the team including Buba Fofanah, Samory Powder, Timothy Ennin, Jacob Babalai, Sebastian Nava and even their central defensive midfielder Oliver Jeppe. Their performance was dominant and earned Jacob Babalai WCC Player of the Week honors.
The Pilots men’s soccer team traveled to play West Virginia University on Saturday and lost 1-0 to a last minute goal. It was a tough, contested game and ended in heartbreak for the Pilots, recording their first loss of the season.
The Pilots will be hungry to bounce back and defend Merlo Field against the University of Denver this Friday.
Women’s Soccer:
The women’s soccer team started the fall season off with energy, earning key wins last week and this weekend improving their record to 4-1-1.
Women’s soccer traveled to Oregon State on Sunday, September 3rd and battled to earn a tough point on the road. The Pilots went down early in the game before leveling the score through an Oregon State own goal in the second half. The game ended 1-1.
Improving on their form, the Pilots traveled to play Seattle University last Thursday. It was a highly competitive game, but the Pilots nicked a late winner in the 82nd minute through Cally Togiai. The match ended 1-0 and it was the Pilot’s third shutout of the season.
The Pilots played UC Irvine this weekend and started a streak of wins and shutouts on their return to the vibrant grass of Merlo Field. They secured a 1-0 win with Marlee Cavitt getting her first goal of the season and their backline holding off UC Irvine’s attack for their fourth shutout of the season.
Women’s soccer will return to action this Thursday to play at Brown University.
Volleyball:
Pilot’s volleyball kicked off the season this year in late August with a win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Last week they played three tough matches, losing two and winning one.
Last Thursday, the Pilots volleyball team played the University of Wyoming at home and fell three sets to two in a close match. The Pilots won the second and fourth sets while Wyoming took the first, third, and fifth sets.
At the Chiles Center last Friday, the Pilots edged Cal State University Northridge 3-2. Pilot’s volleyball recorded their fourth win of the year, winning the first, third, and fifth sets to beat a strong CSUN team. Taina Kaauwai and Maui Robins helped secure the win by both getting double-doubles.
The Pilots volleyball team played another home match this weekend on Saturday against Eastern Washington University. In a tough 5-set battle, they lost three sets to two with Portland winning the second and third sets. Maddie Corpe notched a team-high of 22 assists in the match and the loss brings the Pilot’s volleyball team to a record of 4-5.
Pilots volleyball will be back in action this Thursday when they play away in Las Vegas against Lamar University.
Women’s Cross Country:
The women’s cross country team opened their season on Sept. 1 at the Linfield Harrier Classic. The Pilot’s finished fourth overall with 88 points and were led by redshirt sophomore Tiahna Woodger, junior Stina Pettersson and redshirt junior Tait Rowley who finished ninth, 16th, and 23rd respectively.
The Pilots look to improve their times at their next race, scheduled for Sept. 16 at the Oak Knoll Golf Course.
Men’s Cross Country:
The men’s cross country team opened the fall season strong placing first at the Linfield Harrier Classic. The Pilot’s were at the top of the scoreboard with 23 points and were led by redshirt junior Eliason Kabasenche, redshirt freshman Dalton Kaines and redshirt junior Paul Law who finished second, third and fifth respectively.
Pilots men’s cross country will race again on Sept. 16 at the Oak Knoll Golf Course, where they look to take the crown for a second time this season.
This wraps up this week's Pilots Round Up — stay tuned for more weekly updates about University of Portland’s fall sports.
Aidan Hyde is a sports reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at hydea25@up.edu.
