Saturday, October 18
Moraga, CA
3:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
Portland
#8 Molly Silva: 12 GP/12 GS, 1,041 MP, 3 ast., 7 SH
Photo by: Anhtuan Hong | KLC Fotos
WSOC | Gaels Set to Host Portland Pilots in Key Conference Matchup
10/16/2025 4:18:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's is entering week four of conference play and returns to Moraga to host the Portland Pilots on Saturday, October 18th. Last week, the Gaels historic nine-match unbeaten streak came to an end after a two-goal defeat to Seattle U for their first conference loss. It was only their second loss of the season and their first since late August after a 4-1 defeat to No. 2 Stanford. This week's matchup with the Pilots marks a pivotal one as both teams sit in a tie for second place at 3-1-1. Both teams are in the hunt for an at-large bid as they try to keep pace with Pepperdine who are undefeated at 5-0.
Even with the loss, the Gaels are off to one of their best starts in program history, sitting at 8-2-2 overall. Saint Mary's has recorded eight shutouts and is unbeaten at home this season with a record of 5-0-1.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's vs. Portland | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | October 18th | 3:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Suffer First Loss Since August…
The match between Saint Mary's and Seattle U began with the Gaels matching the Redhawks with seven shots in the first half. Even with the strong efforts, Seattle U found the back of the net in the 24th minute, giving them a 1-0 lead going into halftime. After the break, the Redhawks added a late goal in the 80th minute to seal the 2-0 win.
After the full 90 minutes, Seattle U had outshot Saint Mary's 16-14, with four of those attempts coming from Gaels' leading goal scorer Sydney Middaugh. In goal, Kate Plachy finished with four saves, preventing the Redhawks from extending their lead.
Nine-Game Unbeaten Streak By the Numbers…
Saint Mary's went unbeaten for nine straight matches for their longest such streak since 2001. Over that stretch, the Gaels went 8-0-1 including a non-conference road win over 16th ranked Georgetown on September 14th. They outscored their opponents 16-1with their lone goal allowed coming in their 1-1 draw with San Francisco.
All eight wins came via the shutout as Kate Plachy won three WCC Defensive Player of the Week awards and was also named to the Top Drawer Team of the Week on September 16th. Saint Mary's is tied for the conference lead with just nine goals allowed on the season and ranks t-5th in Division I with eight shutouts, representing one of the top defenses on the west coast. The team's leading goal scorer during that stretch was Sydney Middaugh who scored four goals and currently leads the team with five on the season. The Gaels would have seven different goal scorers over that stretch, showcasing their offensive versatility.
Series History…
Over the last ten meetings with the Pilots, the Gaels hold a record of 4-5-1. Their most recent game came last fall, when Saint Mary's fell 3-1 on the road. The Gaels last win over the Pilots came back in 2021, when Saint Mary's came away with 2-1 victory.
With both teams near the top of the WCC standings, each holding the same conference record of 3-1-1, Saturday's match proves to be a crucial conference clash between two of the league's top programs and will have major postseason implications.
ABOUT THE PILOTS (6-3-4, 3-1-1)
The Portland Pilots currently hold a record of 6-3-4 and are ranked third in the WCC standings, just behind the Gaels. Last week, UP came away with a 1-0 victory over San Francisco, with the lone goal coming from Violet Rademacher, the Pilots lead goal scorer with four on the season. Forward Hailey Still trails just behind her with three goals this fall and leads the team with thirteen shots on goal.
The Portland Pilots are under the leadership of former Olympic medalist and head coach Michelle French. French is in her eighth year with the Pilots. Back in 2022, she led the team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years.
Saint Mary's hosts University of Portland on Saturday, October 18th with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 PM. The match is this season's 'Think Pink Game,' which honors Breast Cancer awareness month and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at smcgaels.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Even with the loss, the Gaels are off to one of their best starts in program history, sitting at 8-2-2 overall. Saint Mary's has recorded eight shutouts and is unbeaten at home this season with a record of 5-0-1.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's vs. Portland | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | October 18th | 3:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Suffer First Loss Since August…
The match between Saint Mary's and Seattle U began with the Gaels matching the Redhawks with seven shots in the first half. Even with the strong efforts, Seattle U found the back of the net in the 24th minute, giving them a 1-0 lead going into halftime. After the break, the Redhawks added a late goal in the 80th minute to seal the 2-0 win.
After the full 90 minutes, Seattle U had outshot Saint Mary's 16-14, with four of those attempts coming from Gaels' leading goal scorer Sydney Middaugh. In goal, Kate Plachy finished with four saves, preventing the Redhawks from extending their lead.
Nine-Game Unbeaten Streak By the Numbers…
Saint Mary's went unbeaten for nine straight matches for their longest such streak since 2001. Over that stretch, the Gaels went 8-0-1 including a non-conference road win over 16th ranked Georgetown on September 14th. They outscored their opponents 16-1with their lone goal allowed coming in their 1-1 draw with San Francisco.
All eight wins came via the shutout as Kate Plachy won three WCC Defensive Player of the Week awards and was also named to the Top Drawer Team of the Week on September 16th. Saint Mary's is tied for the conference lead with just nine goals allowed on the season and ranks t-5th in Division I with eight shutouts, representing one of the top defenses on the west coast. The team's leading goal scorer during that stretch was Sydney Middaugh who scored four goals and currently leads the team with five on the season. The Gaels would have seven different goal scorers over that stretch, showcasing their offensive versatility.
Series History…
Over the last ten meetings with the Pilots, the Gaels hold a record of 4-5-1. Their most recent game came last fall, when Saint Mary's fell 3-1 on the road. The Gaels last win over the Pilots came back in 2021, when Saint Mary's came away with 2-1 victory.
With both teams near the top of the WCC standings, each holding the same conference record of 3-1-1, Saturday's match proves to be a crucial conference clash between two of the league's top programs and will have major postseason implications.
ABOUT THE PILOTS (6-3-4, 3-1-1)
The Portland Pilots currently hold a record of 6-3-4 and are ranked third in the WCC standings, just behind the Gaels. Last week, UP came away with a 1-0 victory over San Francisco, with the lone goal coming from Violet Rademacher, the Pilots lead goal scorer with four on the season. Forward Hailey Still trails just behind her with three goals this fall and leads the team with thirteen shots on goal.
The Portland Pilots are under the leadership of former Olympic medalist and head coach Michelle French. French is in her eighth year with the Pilots. Back in 2022, she led the team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years.
Saint Mary's hosts University of Portland on Saturday, October 18th with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 PM. The match is this season's 'Think Pink Game,' which honors Breast Cancer awareness month and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at smcgaels.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
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F
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