PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots will begin the 2017 season at the friendly confines of Merlo Field in mid-August as they welcome Portland State and NC State to The Bluff. The two matches are part of a 10-game home schedule for the Pilots, and Portland will face teams from eight different conferences next fall.
 
The Pilots and Vikings officially kickoff the 2017 slate on Friday, Aug. 18 on the UP campus. NC State, who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last year, follows the Vikings on Sunday, Aug. 20. This is the third meeting all-time between the Pilots and Wolfpack, with the most recent coming in 2014 in Raleigh, N.C.
 
Portland then embarks on its first road trip of the campaign, which features games at UC Davis (Aug. 25) and at UC Irvine (Aug. 28). The Pilots and Aggies are meeting for only the second time ever, with their only previous game coming in 1988. Portland topped the Anteaters 1-0 last season, and the two teams have played each other three straight years.
 
The Pilots' trip to Seattle for the 2017 version of the Husky Nike Invitational (Sept. 1-3) features match-ups with New Mexico on Friday and NCAA Tournament regular Florida on Sunday. The 2016 Gators won their second consecutive SEC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16. Florida has been to 14 straight NCAA Tournaments and has made 20 postseason appearances overall. It's the third meeting ever between the Pilots and Gators, with Portland winning the most recent match at home in 2008.
 
The 2017 Nike Portland Invitational is slated for the weekend of Sept. 8-10 at Merlo Field, and will feature the Washington Huskies, Baylor Bears, and Boise State Broncos. First on Friday night, the Pilots will face the Bears, who have made four NCAA tourney appearances, with the last coming in 2012. Sunday's tilt with the Broncos will be the first ever meeting between the two northwest programs.
 
Portland then concludes the non-conference portion of their schedule with a home game against Oregon State on Friday Sept. 15 and a road contest at Seattle on Friday, Sept. 22. The Pilots have won 28 of 34 previous meetings with OSU in a series that dates back to 1982. The Redhawks have been to the NCAA Playoffs three times during the past five years.
 
"Our 2017 schedule sets us up perfectly to get back into the playoff picture," said Portland head coach Garrett Smith. "We're playing quality and diverse opponents, which should allow us the opportunity to play our way into the playoffs. With a challenging schedule and a winning record, we should put ourselves in a good position to earn an at large bid, but we're also trying to capture our next WCC championship to secure an automatic bid."
 
The start of the West Coast Conference slate brings a road trip to Northern California for games at Saint Mary's (Sept. 29) and at Pacific (Oct. 1). Portland returns home the following weekend to host Santa Clara on Friday, Oct. 6, and San Francisco on Sunday, Oct. 8.
 
The Friday night showdown with the Broncos features the league's two traditional powers as the Pilots and Broncos have combined to win 21 WCC crowns. Santa Clara reached the NCAA Quarterfinals last year.
 
Next comes a quick, one-game road trip to Los Angeles to square off with Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Lions have enjoyed some success the past two seasons, and they reached the Sweet 16 in 2015.
 
Following the trip to LA, the Pilots return home for three straight matches at Merlo Field, beginning with Gonzaga on Saturday, Oct. 21. San Diego visits the Rose City on Thursday, Oct. 26, and reigning conference co-champion Brigham Young comes to The Bluff on Saturday, Oct. 28. The game with the Cougars is Portland's last regular season appearance at Merlo Field, and the Pilots will celebrate senior night.
 
A week later, the Pilots conclude the 2017 slate at Pepperdine, who shared the league title with BYU last year. The Waves advanced to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tourney, and they've reached the playoffs in four out of the last five seasons.
 
"Our schedule puts us against six teams that made it into the 2016 playoffs, with over half of our schedule finishing in the top 100 in the RPI last year," noted Smith. "With the increasing parity within the sport of women's soccer, the difficulty is to know how each team will fair year-to-year. But we have set up a blueprint for success in 2017, and now it's time to get out and win games."
 
Portland was the nation's leader in attendance for a remarkable 10 consecutive seasons. The Pilots have made the playoffs during 21 of the last 25 seasons, they've reached eight College Cups and Portland won the NCAA National Championship in 2002 and 2005.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, mini packages will be available on July 3, and single-game tickets go on-sale Aug. 1 at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Pilot Box Office, over the phone (503-943-7525) or ONLINE.