Canadian forward David Ajagbe’s spot kick sent the University of Portland into the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA men’s soccer tournament, dispatching the University of Denver in a penalty shootout. On Saturday, the 20-year-old sophomore from Surrey, B.C., looks to play another starring role as the eighth-seeded Pilots host Arizona’s Grand Canyon University. Ajagbe believes Portland can go a lot farther. “I believe we can win (the tournament),” he said. He also hopes that post-season success will lead to the pro ranks “sooner than later.” “I’m not focused on that right now. Right now I’m just focused on winning,” he said. “That will come at the end.” While Portland (13-1-4) received a first-round bye, Grand Canyon (14-3-5) defeated Big Ten champion UCLA in a penalty shootout before recording a 2-1 upset win over No. 9 San Diego, the West Coast Conference champion, on an 88th-minute goal by freshman forward Junior Diouf. Diouf leads the NCAA Division 1 with 18 goals this season, including seven game-winning strikes. The last freshman to lead the U.S. college ranks in scoring was Portland’s Conor Casey in 1999. Like Ajagbe, Diouf made the 31-man MAC Hermann Trophy mid-season watch list, which will be cut to 15 semifinalists Dec. 9. That will then be trimmed to three finalists with the player of the year to be announced Jan. 9. “He’s definitely someone we have to take care off,” Ajagbe said of Diouf. The Pilots know defence, outscoring the opposition 42-11 this season with nine clean sheets. Ajagbe came to Portland after a productive year at Ohio State where he made the All-Big Ten freshman team, scoring seven goals and two assists in 22 appearances. Being close to home was a plus for Portland, as was the Pilots’ soccer tradition (think former Canada captain Christine Sinclair, Megan Rapinoe, Kasey Keller and Steve Cherundolo). But he also saw Portland as a team on the rise while the Buckeyes were losing a lot of veteran talent. “When I came here, the main selling point was ‘You’re coming here to be a national champion. You’re coming here to win games,’” Ajagbe said. “That’s what I expected from the team.” The Pilots have come as advertised, outscoring the opposition 18-0 in their first six outings (5-0-1). Portland’s lone loss, a 1-0 setback Oct. 25 at Santa Clara, snapped a 13-game unbeaten run (10-0-3) to start the season Portland is 11-0-1 this season on home turf at Merlo Field, with the draw turning into last Sunday’s shootout win over Denver. Ajagbe has played his part with 10 goals and four assists in 18 games, including five game-winning goals. His goal total was the most in a Pilot player’s first season since 2016 and second-most in the WCC. Fellow forward Joe Highfield, another on the Hermann watch list, also has 10 goals, making he and Ajagbe the first Pilot duo to to score 10 goals each in a season since 2001. The Portland roster also includes Canadian defenders Nikos Clarke-Tosczak (Edmonton) and Jordan Barclay (Toronto). Grand Canyon’s team, meanwhile, includes Canadian defender Charles Volcy and midfielder Toto Salama (both from Montreal). Ajagbe was born in Ireland to Nigerian parents — his father met his future wife there while studying in Ireland — and lived in Cork until he was 12 when the family moved to Canada after falling in love with the West Coast on a holiday. Ajagbe spent a year in Toronto before moving back to Surrey to spend two years in the Vancouver Whitecaps youth ranks, leading the Whitecaps under-19 squad in scoring in 2023-24. “It was a great experience,” he said of his time with the Whitecaps. “I learned a lot and I got a lot better.” His younger brother Michael is a freshman forward at Loyola University in Maryland. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2025 Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
