Live Audio I Live Stats I Complete Release (PDF)
Game Information
The No. 2 seeded Portland Pilots (20-1-0) will host third-seeded Virginia Tech (16-7-0) in an NCAA third round match on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. Virginia Tech advanced with wins over Murray State (2-0) and Dayton (3-1), while Portland knocked off Denver (4-0) and Washington (2-1). The winner will go on to face winner of No. 1 seeded UCLA and Virginia, who play Friday in Los Angeles.
Game Coverage
The game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Northwest with Scott Lynn and Dianna Russini calling the action. A free audio broadcast of the game will also be available at portlandpilots.com, while live stats for all NCAA playoff matches at can be found at www.ncaa.com. Visit the women’s soccer schedule page and click ‘Details’ for direct links.
Ticket Information
Tickets are still available through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling (503) 224-4400 or in-person at the Pilot Box Office. If the game is not sold out in advance, tickets may also be bought at the door on Friday beginning at 6 p.m.
Tournament Tidbits
* The tournament field consists of 64 teams (30 automatic bids, 34 at-large selections).
* 16 teams were seeded, as four teams from each quadrant are given seeds, 1-4.
* The four No. 1 seeds are Stanford, North Carolina, Florida State and UCLA.
* 12 of the 16 seeded teams have reached the third round
* Two of the four seeded teams that did not advance were playing away from home
* All No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have advanced to the third round
* The 2009 NCAA Women’s College Cup will be held in College Station, Texas, at Aggie Soccer Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M
* NCAA semifinal action begins Friday, Dec. 4 and the championship game is Sunday, Dec. 6.
* ESPNU will televise the semifinals live, while the championship game will be aired live on ESPN2 (10 a.m. PST).
Pilots Briefly...
• Sophomore F Halley Kreminski recorded both goals in UP’s 2-1 second round win over UW
• Kreminski now has 10 goals as UP is the only team in the nation with four 10-goal scorers
• Portland punched its ticket by winning its 11th WCC title a perfect 7-0-0 league record
• The Pilots have won a league record 21 straight WCC games
• The Pilots have won 13 straight matches, outscoring opponents 55-3 over that stretch
• Three Pilots earned national player of the week honors a combined six times over 10 weeks
• 11 Pilots earned All-WCC honors, including Coach of the Year Garrett Smith, Player of the Year Michelle Enyeart and co-Freshman of the Year Kendall Johnson
• Portland is 12-0 this season at home, while averaging 3,436 fans per game
• The Pilots lead the nation in scoring (3.71) and are second in goals-against average (0.38)
• Danielle Foxhoven leads the nation in points per game (2.75) and is second in goals scored (22)
• The most goals scored by a Pilot team in school history is 79 (‘05); 2009 Pilots have 78
• Head coach Garrett Smith has a 136-18-7 record in his seventh year at the helm
• Pilots logged the sixth 20-win season in school history last year and third in the last six years
• UP has two NCAA titles (2002, 2005) and eight NCAA College Cup appearances
UP Tournament Notes
• 17th NCAA appearance in the last 18 years with a 45-13-3 (.762) all-time record
• One of just three schools to have won multiple championships (North Carolina, Notre Dame)
• 8 College Cup appearances are 4th most behind UNC (24), Santa Clara (10), Notre Dame (10)
• The Pilots have reached at least the third round the 10 years in a row, while making it to the quarterfinals the past three years
• Garrett Smith is 21-4-2 (.815) all-time in the playoffs
• Both championships have come on Texas soil - 2002 in Austin and 2005 in College Station
Scouting Virginia Tech
The No. 3-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies are making their second consecutive and third overall NCAA apperance. Despite the seed, the Hokies (16-7-0, 6-4-0 ACC) traveled to Dayton, Ohio for the first two rounds of the tournament. Virginia Tech defeated Murray State in the first round by a 2-0 margin and then knocked off No. 23 Dayton by a 3-1 margin. The Hokies have had one of their best seasons in program history by finishing fourth in the ACC, their best all-time conference finish. Tech has notched five top-25 victories this season, including a 1-0 win over No. 4 North Carolina and 1-0 and two victories over No. 14 Wake Forest. Marika Gray leads the Hokies with 10 goals and 22 total points. Kelly Conheeney and Jennifer Harvey add nine goals apiece. Kristin Carden is the primary goalkeeper Kristin Carden. Carden posts a 1.26 goals-against average and four shutouts. Kelly Cagle, the 2008 Mid Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, is in her seventh season as head coach of the Hokies. Cagle guided Tech to a 10-9-4 record last year and the school’s second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hokies and Pilots will meet for the first time on Friday.
