PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots men's soccer team will host the Portland Timbers 2 (T2) in an exhibition soccer match on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field. The friendly is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased through the Pilot Box Office.
 
Tickets for the game are $10 for adults and $5 for children, and all seating will be general admission. They're on sale now and can be purchased by visiting the Pilot Box Office (M-F, 11am-5pm) inside the Chiles Center on the UP campus, or by calling 503-943-7525.
 
"It's truly exciting to once again host T2 at Merlo Field, an incredible venue for soccer that has become home to them as well," Portland Athletics Director Scott Leykam said. "We are honored to play a part in 'Soccer City USA', and we are proud to have such a great partnership with the entire Portland Timbers organization. It's a great experience, for not only our men's team but the women's team as well, to play exhibition matches against such a high level of competition."
 
"We look forward to hosting another professional club when we take on T2 at Merlo Field," said first-year Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt, whose Pilots played the Chicago Fire to a 1-1 draw in February. "We're excited to welcome the local community back to Merlo as we play the most challenging schedule possible."
 
Carlin-Voigt is in his first year at the helm of the Pilots after spending the past four years as the associate head coach for the UCLA Bruins. With the Bruins, he helped put together the nation's number one recruiting class during each of the past three seasons (2013, 2014 & 2015). In 2014 the Bruins reached the No. 1 ranking nationally and advanced to the NCAA College Cup Championship. UCLA reached the playoffs all four years with Carlin-Voigt on the bench, and 11 Bruins were drafted or signed into Major League Soccer, highlighted by 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy winner, Leo Stolz.
 
Carlin-Voigt took over a UP program rich in tradition. The Pilots claim renowned men's soccer alums Kasey Keller, Steve Cherundolo, Conor Casey, Heath Pearce, and reigning 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. Portland has been to two NCAA College Cups and has made 14 trips to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championships.
 
T2 is a professional team that competes in USL, a division of US Soccer below Major League Soccer. T2 joined USL for the 2015 season and plays the majority of their home games at Merlo Field. Andrew Gregor, a UP men's soccer alum, is in his first hear as head coach of T2. Gregor previously served as an assistant coach for T2 during their inaugural 2015 season and also guided the Portland Timbers Academy U-16 and U-18 sides in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for parts of the past two seasons. He starred on the Merlo pitch for the Pilots from 1994-97, and he helped Portland reach the NCAA College Cup in 1995.
 
T2 Season tickets start at just $8 per match and are available by contacting the ticket office at (503) 553-5555 or ticketsales@timbers.com.