NCAA Tournament 2016

Nice the Pilots are in, but the team will be without WCC Player of the Year Eddie Sanchez for the first round due to his yellow card accumulation (5).  You might remember his card for "dissent" after the SMC player knocked Rey Ortiz into the boards in front of the student section.

Between the crowd, the cold, the wind, the altitude, and being without their best player, the Pilots could be facing an uphill battle.  But I also think the staff can use all those negatives to motivate our young team...and that's what they are, a team!!

Talking to Coach Nick before they left for Albuquerque, I learned that of the 16 teams on the road for tomorrow's match, UP is one of only two teams that has to travel by air to get to their match....the other is Colgate flying to UCLA. Not sure why Pacific gets to simply trundle down the interstate to CSUN.

UNM is a veteran squad and they are undefeated at home this year (8-0-1), but I think they've played 6 more matches than the Pilots this season, so maybe the Pilots will have fresher legs.  

Could be interesting tomorrow evening in Albuquerque....

Temp is supposed to be near 40 at game time, but more importantly, there is a strong storm system crossing New Mexico which will bring damaging winds as high as 60-70 mph in some parts of the state, and possible winds around 30-40 with blowing dust in Albuquerque.

Apparently not an actual "watch party," but we've been told that Thursday evening's game will be streamed in the Pilot House beginning at 6.

http://portlandpilots.com/news/2016/11/18/msoc-pilots-force-no-22-lobos-to-pks-but-unm-prevails.aspx

Ever since that 2010 women's playoff against Washington, I just can't watch penalties shootouts.

Nothing to hang their heads about this year, though! It was a great and inspiring season. They have a lot to be proud of. I am already looking forward to next year.

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:Ever since that 2010 women's playoff against Washington, I just can't watch penalties shootouts.

This one was particularly tough to watch, with so many ups and downs. We looked dead in the water being down 3-1 after round three, but somehow Christensen saved UNM's next two while Portland made them. Miraculously, it was tied 3-3 after the opening round.

Then UNM's top goal scorer soars his shot over the bar, giving Portland a chance to win. But alas, UNM's keeper saved it. (He is some sort of penalty kick savant, by the way... he is a freshman who didn't play one minute in the game, but came in for the shootout and saved four against Portland last night. Did the same thing a week or two ago as well, coming off the bench to save four against Kentucky in the CUSA playoffs.)

Portland had a fantastic chance late in regulation, when Rey Ortiz's shot beat the keeper but was headed off the line. New Mexico also had an amazing chance in the second OT, with Christensen making an incredible reaction save from point blank range.

Overall, New Mexico probably had more chances and more run of the game, but the Pilots had their chances and looked very dangerous at times. Hard to not wonder what might have been if Eddie Sanchez could have played.

So much to be proud of... and yes what might have been with Eddie. I will not ever begrudge a player for getting a yellow protecting his guy though. Unfortunately we'll be left to wonder.

I just spoke to one of the players....the seniors just can't believe it's over, they were expecting to move on.  Also, yes, it was cold and windy, but if you were playing, you didn't notice it.

Stonehouse, thanks for the info on UNM shootout keeper....stuff you can only learn on PilotNation!

Only at UP?  The prof in my first class this morning totally understood why a few of us weren't very prepared to contribute during a group discussion......she too watched the match in its entirety.  

WCC rep UOP beat Cal St. Northridge in the 1st round, but yesterday lost 2-0 at #5 Stanford.

New Mexico, 2OT winner over the Pilots, traveled to Seattle for the 2nd round and lost to #11 UW 4-1 yesterday.

Some of our guys are still "gutted" by their loss in Albuquerque, but one player, a sophomore, admitted to me it was a "dream season, and now that we know what we're capable of, we're hungry for more."

#6 Denver, a 2-1 winner over UP three weeks ago, today beat #11 UW and moves on to the quarterfinals against an opponent TBD.