PORTLAND, Ore. – For Brandon Cambridge, it started with a phone call. The Vancouver Whitecaps wanted to check in on his plan. Cambridge's plan hadn't deviated. He was going to spend one more year with the Portland Pilots, a team he just helped lead to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal after a 15-3-3 season, both bests since 1995.
And why wouldn't he stay? Cambridge had just scored 12 goals and added seven assists – a significant improvement over his second year – for one of the best teams in the country. Those totals added up to 31 points, the most by a Pilot since Steven Evans in 2012.