The Pride and Passion of Portland

Located in a city with a deep love for soccer is the University of Portland’s men’s soccer team. They share that love by standing confidently in front of the house that Clive Charles built and compete for championships. Portland knows soccer better than anything, so it’s no surprise that “Soccer City, USA” will once again host a NCAA Tournament game. After wins through the first two rounds, the Pilots return home to host a third-round matchup for the first time in program history.

What makes soccer so special is the profound connection it fosters between people. It unites so many, both locally and globally, that now it's a common language. Portland’s head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt is someone that made soccer fluent in his life, to the point where he took up coaching to help others unlock their full potential.

Carlin-Voigt got started coaching young, honing his skills as a mentor and a teacher to improve every program where he coached. Every step along the way built his confidence and fostered new ideas for him as a coach. “I really wanted to see if my ideas would work,” NCV explained. “I wanted to see if a community, a program and a culture could link their ideas together and build something.”

When Portland called, he bet on himself and accepted the challenge. The goals he set for himself and his program were now his responsibility. He knew he had what it took to build his teams into champions. “I knew when I got to Portland that together we could get back amongst the nation’s elite, back to the NCAA Tournament,and back to chasing championships,” he said.

Portland has a rich history in soccer, and it’s something that is at the crux of its identity. “I believe that being a soccer player at Portland is one of - if not the best - place to play college soccer,” Carlin-Voigt explained. “So, I wanted to tap into that and into their past, to be able to honor it, while committing to living in the present and building for the future.”

Getting his players to understand the work that was done before them is an important part in teaching them about their own role in maintaining the program’s history. “They have the responsibility to leave the program better than how they found it,” Carlin-Voigt said.

Carlin-Voigt seeks to provide a place for his players to grow and have the best experience possible. “The motto here in the program is one team, one goal, one family,” he explained, “That speaks to the idea that everyone is one and everyone has the same collective goal.” His dedication to his program is mirrored in how the players take the field. Watching the Pilots play, it’s obvious that the players believe in the vision he has.

One such student-athlete that bought into the vision of Carlin-Voigt and Portland is sophomore midfielder and the 2022 WCC Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Cambridge.

Cambridge took up the sport at a young age at the encouragement of his mother while living in South Africa. This was around the time South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup. He recalled everyone around him being really into the sport because of the international spectacle. During break at school, people would play soccer, so he joined in. He soon found that the longer he played, the more he loved the game.

Seizing his inherent talent, he pursued soccer into college. Portland came on his radar during his time with the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy. When head coach Carlin-Voigt offered a chance to play for the Pilots, Cambridge said it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

After missing the majority of league play last year due to injury, Cambridge took that time away from the pitch to make sure he came back better than before. “I dedicated most of a year to working on things that I believed I had to get better at,” he said. From tactics to game footage, Cambridge spent that summer working with his coaches to achieve new levels to his game.

One of the greatest lessons in that time for the sophomore was being open to constructive criticism. “It was important for me as a player to be able to swallow the pill that I wasn’t where I needed to be,” he explained. “So I worked on those things and I think it really paid off for me this season."

A key component to this Portland team is its high-powered offense. Where did that come from? According to Cambridge, it came about because of a willingness to help one another and an openness to listening to what others have to say. “It really helps everyone play well," he shared. “I think that’s why most of our 11 and the guys off the bench are having the best seasons that they have had. Everybody this season has had a really big jump, in terms of production. Our front three? Obviously it’s not a front three, more like a front five or six. There are guys that can come off the bench and score a lot of goals.”

Carlin-Voigt added, “Returning a lot of the core guys from last year is how this group was able to continue to raise the bar and set expectations of success. I think you see that in the team this year. You can’t just look at one guy and say 'If we stop this one player you stop Portland.' We’re a pretty balanced team.”

With all the pieces in place, the Pilots remain focused on advancing further into the tournament “You can see in training that the energy is there. You’d expect us all to be tired from all the games we have played, but we are fired up and ready for the challenge," Cambridge said.

Carlin-Voigt and the coaching staff have also taken notice. “They have developed in a nice way,” NCV said. “It’s clear they know what they want and they have their objective. A lot of that is in part to the experiences from the past season. This was a team that beat UCLA and went undefeated at Merlo for the first time since 1995, but they also dealt with setbacks, like a bad first half against Oregon State [in the regular-season meeting] that cost us the game and one against San Diego cost us the league.

But it’s all hindsight as Carlin-Voight further explained. “These experiences of success and setbacks allowed us to grow stronger together and stand stronger together as a brotherhood locked in arms.”

The Pilots earned another home match after their 2-0 defeat of Oregon State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They return to Merlo Saturday night hoping to move on while staying unbeaten at home.

"Everyone in Portland that comes out to watch us and the women are a crucial part to us winning, that’s why we wanted a home crowd," Cambridge said. “We know that people are going to come and want a show. All the guys are ready to give our fans that.”

Carlin-Voigt, per a university release, was quoted saying, “Thrilled for our University community, fans, alumni, and most importantly the guys in our locker as we get to host a Sweet 16 game at Merlo on Saturday." 

He was gracious for the fans that made the journey to Corvallis to cheer on the Pilots and encouraged fans to fill the stands at Merlo come Saturday. 

Portland will face Western Michigan, a team that's advanced after winning two road games in the tournament. The Broncos beat Louisville in the first round and then upset No. 9 Lipscomb to advance to the third round. 

Western Michigan calls Kalamazoo, a city in southwest Michigan, home. Carlin-Voigt, a Kalamazoo native himself, has strong ties to the university. Both his wife and mother are alums of WMU, but both take immense pride in the Pilots.

The two teams collide for the first time since 2017 when Portland beat the Broncos, 4-1, in an early-season contest. Five years later, the two competitive teams meet each other under different circumstances. But Portland is ready for the challenge. “We are excited we get to spend another week together as a family and have the opportunity to keep improving and growing," Carlin-Voigt shared in a release. 

What can we expect from Portland heading into the next round? 

“You’ll see a lot of hungry guys ready to make an impact,” Cambridge shared. “The league didn’t go our way, but we are going to use the energy from that and bring it in the first round and hopefully take the win and go from there.”

“You’re going to see a group of guys that are going to fight for every inch of grass on that field,” said Carlin-Voigt. “One that’s going to fight hard for their brotherhood and jersey, and do everything they can to defend their home field. Our mantra this year is 'Earned Not Given.' We know we are going to have to earn a win.”

The Pilots host Western Michigan in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Catch the action Saturday, Nov. 26, at 5pm on ESPN+.