COMING UP: at George Fox, Saturday, 4 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Game time for Saturday's match-up at the Austin Sports Complex in Newberg has been moved up a half hour to 4 p.m. and will follow the OIT-GFU men's match-up. The game will be streamed live on the Northwest Conference Network, with Live Stats available through GFU's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2024 season will be posted online via the OIT Women's Soccer Flickr Page, while highlight clips will be posted online via the OIT Women's Soccer YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – GEORGE FOX:  The 2024 season opens on Saturday afternoon, as George Fox welcomes Tech to the Portland metro. The Bruins are coming off a sixth-place finish in the Northwest Conference, recording a 6-9-5 overall record – averaging one goal per game, while allowing just over a goal and a half a contest. GFU did not have a player on the 2023 All-NWC squad, with the team returning senior forwards Becca Kozak (6 goals) and Taylor Ho (1 goal, 3 assists), along with defender Kayleigh Gugliotta (1 assist) – who started all 20 matches. Starting keeper, sophomore Emily Robey (1.54 GAA, 50 saves, .649 save percentage).
 
HISTORY BETWEEN TECH AND FOX:  The Lady Owls and Bruins will meet on the pitch for the first time in 12 years and the third time overall (all in Newberg), with the two squads splitting the first two contests. In 2008, GFU scored a goal off a penalty kick to top OIT, 1-0, while in 2012, the Owls returned the favor, as Veronica Steward scored off a Rebekah Nesbit cross in overtime for a 1-0 victory.
 
OLD CONFERENCE FOE: George Fox is no stranger to OIT – with the bulk of the history occurring prior to the start of both Owls soccer programs. GFU and Tech were both original members of the Oregon Collegiate Conference from 1950-69, with both teams also competing in the NAIA District 2 throughout the 1980s and early 1990s and were founding members of the Cascade Conference in 1993. Fox was the first CCC team to leave the league, joining the Northwest Conference and the NCAA Division III in 1995.
 
AGAINST THE NCAA / NORTHWEST CONFERENCE: The Lady Owls step outside NAIA competition on Saturday, as George Fox competes within the NCAA Division III. OIT is a combined 14-23-1 all-time against NCAA opponents – including a 0-1 mark against D-I teams and a 3-12-1 mark against Division II clubs. GFU is one of five Northwest Conference teams the Owls have met, posting an 11-10 record against Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific, Willamette and Fox (have not played Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitman and Whitworth).
 
SEASON OPENERS: The 2024 season is the 25th anniversary of Oregon Tech women's soccer, with the Lady Owls a combined 8-13-3 in season opening matches – playing six in Klamath Falls, 15 on the road and three at neutral sites. The squad looks to improve on a 4-9-2 record in road opening matches.
 
PLAYING IN AUGUST: Saturday's game at George Fox will mark the 21st-straight (non-COVID) season that the Lady Owls will play a game in August. OIT started play in September during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons, but have had August competition every year since, combining for a 19-20-4 record in the month. Five times, Tech has played just one August match, while the 2006 team played four August contests.
 
OWLS PICKED SEVENTH IN CCC POLL: Tech was picked seventh in the 2024 Cascade Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Aug. 7 by the league office. The Lady Owls received 97 voter points from the 13 league coaches following a 7-5-4 season, with the club returning 10 starters, including a trio of All-CCC performers. CCC regular-season and tournament champ, College of Idaho, was the unanimous choice to repeat as champions, earning all 13 first-place votes and 169 voter points. Eastern Oregon (144), Carroll (129), Northwest (115) and Corban (114) round out the Top-5. C of I opens the season ranked No. 20 in the NAIA Top-25 poll, with both EOU and Carroll receiving votes.
 
SEASON PREVIEW – FORWARDS AND MIDFIELDERS: Click Here For Preview
 
SEASON PREVIEW – DEFENDERS AND KEEPERS: Click Here For Preview
 
QUOTES FROM THE COACH: "We needed to rebalance the class sizes and we've been able to achieve that, while bringing in more firepower on the attack, more quality midfield players, some very gritty defensive additions, along with a steady keeper," said second-year head coach, Tom Moore. "We believe each of these student-athletes can have a great career at OIT as we continue to go after high achieving students who love the game of soccer. The talent depth we have is much better this year – instead of nine players playing back-to-back 90-minute games, we will be able to go deeper into our bench with more quality.  Training has been much more competitive across the board; we are competitively challenging each other in a much better developmental way."
"We have a plethora of returning players who will be ready, willing and able to score goals after a year in this system and we have added a few freshmen who I think will really surprise some people and am very excited to see what we can create in the attack. Our goal is to continue the culture we've developed over the last year. The group is really coming together and seems to genuinely enjoy playing the game. We need to learn from and build off last season's experiences, whether fortunate or unfortunate, putting the best possible product on the field."
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Five teams opened the 2024 season last weekend, with Corban topping Stanton and Warner Pacific winning at Pacific Union. Rocky Mountain and Providence each played Doane of Nebraska, with RMC earning a victory, with Bushnell dropping two matches in California. In all, 10 of the 13 teams in the circuit will play this week, including the season openers for Carroll, Evergreen State, Northwest, OIT and Southern Oregon.
 
RECORD BOOK: Two players head into the 2024 season ranked within the Top-20 of the OIT career record book. Forward Kiah Wetzell opens the year ranked No. 15 in goals scored (14) and No. 16 in total points (34), while keeper Sydni Nakamura is No. 3 all-time in shutouts (11), No. 6 in goalie wins (13) and No. 8 in saves (105).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Lady Owls open the home schedule with their lone non-league game in the Basin, hosting Arizona Christian next Saturday at 8:30 a.m. (early start time to accommodate ACU's travel schedule)