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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Pacific women’s soccer team treks north to begin its West Coast Conference road slate this week, facing off against Portland at Merlo Field on Friday at 6 p.m.
MATCH 11 INFORMATION:
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Time: 6 p.m. PT
Opponent: Portland
Location: Portland/Ore./Merlo Field
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Live Stats
The Tigers (1-9, 0-1 WCC) are coming off a narrow 1-0 setback in the conference opener against LMU at home last week but look to turn the page to a new month and continue WCC play on a high note at the Pilots (4-6, 0-1 WCC).
Ready to shine in the City of Roses, senior Kaya Rosa has blossomed into the Tigers’ top goal scorer this year with four markers to her name, including three in her last four matches. Rosa paces Pacific in goals, points (8), shot attempts (15) and shots on target (10).
Sophomore Janelli Villagran has had her fair share of looks lately, registering at least one shot on goal in four of her last five matches. Villagran is tied with Rosa for the team lead in shot attempts, representing as a strong midfielder on the ball.
On the defensive end, freshman Ava Wells has held her own in goal, owning a 2.38 goals against average and 37 saves across eight starts in 2026. Wells has made at least three saves in all but one match thus far.
Freshman Nora Cullen and junior Gianna Gagliano have had their work cut out for them as key backline defenders for head coach Jeff Freeman‘s squad. The dynamic duo have over 800 minutes each to their name, clearing crosses and starting breakouts from their own end.
Portland opened WCC play against Pepperdine, suffering a 1-0 setback at home against Pepperdine. The Pilots were projected to finish second in the conference at the start of the year, trailing only the aforementioned Waves.
The Pilots possess a well-balanced offense with eight different players producing a point in 2026. Sophia Hills has started and played every minute in goal for Portland in 2026, maintaining a 0.91 GAA and four clean sheets, which rank tied for second in the WCC.
Pacific and Portland meet for the 14th consecutive season as members of the conference. The Tigers look to win their first match over the Pilots for the first time since Oct. 1, 2017, where a 2-0 shutout victory was recorded.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with a 6 p.m. kick-off.
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