PORTLAND, Ore.
– With a second-place finish in the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division, the Portland Timbers U-23s will play host to the Seattle Wolves in the first round of the divisional playoffs Thursday, July 23, at PGE Park at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the Timbers U-23s’ first-ever playoff match are $5 and will be available through the PGE Park box office, starting Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The winner of the first-round match between Portland and Seattle will advance to face the Northwest Division regular-season champion Kitsap Pumas in the Northwest Division championship match on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Bremerton, Wash. The top three teams from each division in the PDL advanced to the postseason.
The Timbers U-23s finished their inaugural season with a record of 11-3-2 (35pts) and clinched a playoff berth on July 11, with a road win over the Yakima Reds. Portland’s offense generated 43 goals in 16 regular-season matches, pacing the Northwest Division and ranking among PDL team leaders in scoring.
Portland capped its regular season with 5-0 win over the Abbotsford Mariners over the weekend to extend its winning streak to three games. The Timbers U-23s are unbeaten in their last five matches (4-0-1) and have out-scored opponents 15-4 in that span.
Seattle (10-3-3, 33pts) finished its inaugural season in third place in the Northwest Division and ended its schedule on a three-game winning streak. The Wolves are unbeaten in the month of July, posting a 3-0-1 record. Seattle claimed one of three playoff spots in the division on July 11, with a 3-0 win over the Cascade Surge on the road.
Earlier this season, the Timbers U-23s were dealt a 3-1 loss by the Wolves in Seattle. Defender Daniel Leach gave the Timbers U-23s a 1-0 lead before Wolves striker Casey Cunningham responded with three unanswered goals to secure the victory.
The Timbers U-23s’ playoff matchup against the Wolves Thursday will precede the Portland Timbers’ USL First Division match against the Puerto Rico Islanders at 7 p.m. at PGE Park.
