Oregon Institute of Technology Athletics

COMING UP: at Carroll, Sunday, 1 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
WATCH LIVE: Fans unable to attend the match in Helena can watch the game online via Carroll's YouTube Channel and Live Stats through the NAIA PrestoSports Portal.
 
LADY OWLS EARN HUGE HOME SWEEP: Tech battled through a rash of injuries – including missing a pair of starters – to earn two Cascade Conference wins at home, stopping Rocky Mountain, 1-0, and defeating Providence, 4-1. In Friday's win over Rocky, the Owls limited the Battlin' Bears to six total shots – including no shots over the final 30 minutes of the match. Saturday, offense was the story, as OIT peppered the frame with 24 shots, scoring a season-high four goals. The Lady Owls finished the weekend with a 30-14 edge in total shots and an 11-1 edge in corner kicks.
 
HOME UNBEATEN STREAK: OIT extended their home unbeaten streak to 37 matches with their two weekend victories. The Lady Owls are a combined 103-56-15 on their own pitch since 2000 and have not lost a contest in Klamath Falls since a 2017 setback to Eastern Oregon. Since the new field turf surface was installed on campus, the Owls are a combined 34-2-4 on their home pitch.
 
BREAKOUT WEEKEND FOR WETZELL: Forward Kiah Wetzell did not start Friday's match vs. Rocky Mountain – entering the contest late in the first half. From that point on, the junior dominated the pitch – picking up a game-winning goal in the second half and adding two goals in the first six minutes of Saturday's win over Providence – earning Rize Laboratory Cascade Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. For Wetzell, it was the second time she has scored 2-or-more goals in a game – having registered a hat trick in last season's playoff win vs. Northwest.
 
BRACE TIMES TWO: For the second time this season, senior Maddie Miller recorded a brace – picking up two second half goals in Saturday's win over Providence. It marked the seventh brace in the senior's career, not including a pair of hat tricks – as Miller increased her career goals scored tally to 31. With the two-goal game, Miller became the fourth player in OIT history with 30-or-more goals and is the fifth-player to record 60-or-more points in a career.
 
DOUBLE-DIGIT SHOT GAMES: In addition to scoring two goals, Maddie Miller joined elite company against Providence – becoming the ninth OIT player to record 10-or-more shots in a game. Miller took 10 shot attempts in the victory – the first Lady Owl to reach double-digits in shots since Rebekah Nisbet in 2013. Kelly Suminski holds the school record, attempting 21 shots in a 2002 win at Simpson.
 
SETTING IT UP: Senior Sylvia Sloss has been key to the Lady Owls success, controlling possession in the midfield and facilitating the ball into the offensive third. The second-year player picked up a pair of assists in the two matches – a pretty through-ball against Rocky that led to the game-winning goal, while serving a perfect corner kick into the 6-yard-box for a headed against Providence. Sloss leads the club and ranks third in the CCC in assists.
 
PLAYING A FULL 90: The OIT defensive quartet of Karly White, Kara Morris, Logan Kashima and Jissel Valencia-Mendez have been a mainstay on the pitch this season – a key reason the Owls have surrendered just six goals in eight matches. Both White and Morris have played all 90 minutes in each of the eight matches, while Kashima and Valencia-Mendez have played all 90 minutes in each of the previous four contests. In addition, midfielder Maddie Miller has played 715 of the 720 minutes in 2022.
 
NAKAMURA CONTINUES SCORELESS STREAK: Keeper Sydni Nakamura continued her outstanding season, extending a personal scoreless streak to 401 minutes – including her fourth shutout of the season against Rocky. The junior is one of two keepers in the CCC that has not allowed a goal in league play – as Nakamura faced 13 total shots, including five on frame, in the two weekend matches – lowering her season goals against average to 0.44.
 
AROUND THE CASCADE CONFERENCE: The 4-way tie atop the CCC standings was cut in half, as College of Idaho and Northwest earned key wins (C of I defeated Eastern Oregon, 2-1, with NU defeating Carroll, 1-0) and moved to 4-0-1 in league play. OIT remains unbeaten in CCC action at 3-0-2, while Carroll sits at 4-1-1 and both EOU and Southern Oregon have 3-1-1 marks. Along with Tech and SOU traveling to Carroll, Rocky and Providence make a second-straight road trip, this time to C of I and Eastern, with NU and Evergreen host Corban and Bushnell, while Multnomah makes the short trip to Warner Pacific.
 
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE: The trip to Montana will be a bit different than most – as the Lady Owls will by flying to Helena, instead of the 13-hour, 850-mile one-way trip. It will be OIT's first flight since their trek to Orange Beach, Ala., and the NAIA National Championships last November.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CARROLL: Tech heads to Helena in search of their first-ever win at Nelson Stadium, as the Owls are 0-5 on the Fighting Saints (7-2-3, 4-1-1 CCC) natural grass surface (which was a quagmire last Saturday during the College's home football game) – including four shutouts. The 2022 Carroll squad had a 6-match unbeaten streak snapped in a 1-0 loss at Northwest on Saturday – with the team playing a tough preseason schedule, including games in Iowa against Dordt, Northwestern and College of Saint Mary. All-CCC forward Blair Stapleton (11 goals, 2 assists) is the top scorer in the league, with Emily Funseth (4 goals), Amaya Winkler (4 goals, 1 assist) and Melissa Dugger (3 goals, 1 assist) all offensive options. All-CCC keeper Sarah Conway (0.88 GAA, .870 save %) has played nearly every minute this season in goal. Carroll holds an 8-4 series lead, though OIT has won the past three meetings, including a 1-0 decision in last season's Cascade Conference Tournament.
 
RECORD BOOK WATCH: Senior Maddie Miller currently ranks among the career Top-10 in OIT history – ranking No. 1 in game-winning goals (10), No. 4 all-time in goals scored (31), total points scored (65) and shots (179). In addition, Sydni Nakamura ranks No. 8 all-time in shutouts (5) and No. 9 in goalie wins (7).
 
NEW OVERTIME RULES: The 2022 season will feature a new set of rules for games tied at the end of regulation. Beginning this year, any regular-season match that is tied after 90 minutes will be declared a draw – no overtime period will be played. All postseason games that are tied after 90 minutes will feature two 10-minute overtime periods – that will be played out in its entirety – regardless of how many goals are scored. If the postseason overtime period ends in a tie, a penalty shootout will determine the team that advances.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: OIT returns home next weekend for a pair of tough contests – hosting No. 22-ranked College of Idaho on Friday (Oct. 14) and No. 24-ranked Eastern Oregon on Saturday (Oct. 15)