It’s a cold, cloudy, rainy day in Portland and veteran goalkeeper Bre Norris is smiling and diving into the muddy grass of the practice fields on River Campus. It’s the weather she plays best in.
“Rain, 60 degrees, no wind, overcast,” Norris said. “That's got to be the best weather, it’s gotta be. You get to slip in it and slide all around. It’s so much easier to dive.”
Norris’s diving has helped her make 265 career collegiate saves for the Pilots, breaking the program record in a game against Pepperdine on Oct. 23, 2024. While Norris has been such an important part of the women's defensive line, her ambition to play soccer professionally drives her to keep improving her game.
Portland Pilots Women’s Soccer has become a leading force in defensive play since the arrival of Norris in 2021. The team finished the 2023 season with 11 shutouts, the most in the West Coast Conference (WCC) and only conceded nine goals due to their organized defense, which Norris is the heart of. This strong Pilot defense has helped Norris earn national recognition for preventing opponents from hitting the back of the net.
Norris and her teammates defend during a match against USC on Aug. 31.
Norris, a senior from Boise, Idaho, is an integrated health and wellness major. Her soccer career started when she was five as a striker, but she found her love for goalkeeping at nine.
“I was horrible when I started and I was obsessed with wanting to be better at [goalkeeping]…” Norris said. “I fell in love with it and specialized in goal when I was 12.”
She played high-level soccer throughout high school, first playing for club team Indie Chicas and then for Seattle/OL Reign Academy’s Development Academy (DA) team. Her work ethic and performances for her club teams led to an early commitment to play for the Pilots when she was just 15.
Norris has had a total of 33 shutouts throughout her collegiate career. Her shot-stopping ability is second to none, and she works to improve the technical side of her game every day at training. Maite Zabala, the women’s soccer associate head coach and goalkeeping coach, says that this technical skill coupled with Norris’ work ethic is what makes her stand out.
“She’s got a great ability to get to balls at the crossbar, and that sets her apart from other goalkeepers,” Zabala said. “She’s become very intuitive with her technique when closing space on 1v1s… She’s put a lot of time and work into her craft over the last three years and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”
Norris watches the game unfold from her spot on the field.
Norris also spends time preparing mentally. Her former goalkeeper coach, Michael Soderlund, who played for Indiana University, instilled a strong mental philosophy in her when she was younger.
“He was super big on breath work and visualization…” Norris said. “He embedded that into me, and so now every single practice and every single game I try to do what he taught me. He changed the way I thought of goalkeeping.”
Norris won several individual awards during her first three years at Portland, including being named to the 44-person 2024 Mac Hermann Trophy Watchlist and being the first Pilot to win WCC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2023.
“It was a great honor,” Norris said. “I’ve worked hard to put myself in a position to help out my team. I also couldn’t have done it without our defending prowess. I couldn’t do my job without the other 10 players in front of me.”
Norris is grateful to have the support of the coaching staff, and she fosters a strong connection with each of them. The coaching staff for women’s soccer recognizes Norris’s dedication, commitment, leadership and growth as key reasons for their success.
Pilots Women’s Soccer Head Coach Michelle French says that Norris has earned these awards not only because of her performance on the field but also because of her zeal for success.
“The recognition Bre received last year is not just something that happens,” French said. “It’s years of dedication and accountability. It’s having high standards for yourself and making tough decisions. She has put herself in a position to earn those accolades. Her growth as a human and as a player has been incredible to witness.”
Norris is one of the captains of the women’s soccer team, showing her leadership through her communication with her teammates on and off the pitch.
“We are so close and tight-knit,” Norris said. “I can have a conversation with anybody in the locker room. I more lead by example, and I’m all about putting the work in and inspiring others to do that as well.”
Norris taking a goal kick to restart gameplay on Merlo Field.
Her relationship with her backline and the rest of the team while defending is crucial. She encourages team commitment to keeping the ball out of her net.
“French always says after you get a goal, if you defend well, you win the game,” Norris said. “We practice defending so much and it’s really paid off.”
This connection and unity go beyond the women’s soccer team. Norris says that having a great men’s soccer program on The Bluff also adds to the team's culture and spirit.
“Our sense of community and unity shows even though we’re split up into teams,” Norris said. “There’s something bigger about having the foundation of a soccer school and sharing the pride of playing on Merlo Field. Merlo is such a sacred place, and both being able to protect our home turf is super powerful.”
Looking to the future, Norris wants to keep improving her game, finish her career at the University of Portland strong and continue her goalkeeping career as a professional after college.
"My goal is to go pro, and in order to do that, every single aspect of my game has to be better. I need to be confident in how hard I’ve worked to be where I’m at…” Norris said. “I trust my team so much, but I have to trust myself and know that I can do what I can do.”
Norris helps her team in any way she can, whether she makes a game-winning save or helps keep a clean sheet in a blowout.
“Bre wants to put her team in the best position possible to win games,” Zabala said. “The stats and records are secondary to what this last season is for her which is first and foremost doing what's best for the team and helping them succeed as much as possible.”
French agrees.
“Bre has helped propel our program and helped us take another step towards where we want to be,” French said. “In that journey, she’s been all in and I could not be more grateful for that.”
Aidan Hyde is a sports reporter at The Beacon. He can be reached at hyde25@up.edu.
