COMING UP: vs. Arizona Christian, Saturday, 8:30 a.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Fans arriving to Saturday's game will notice construction along Industrial Park Drive, which has closed the lower parking lot near the OIT Soccer Field. Fans are asked to park in the upper CEET/Cornet Hall lot and walk down to the field (parking in the Boivin Hall lot is limited to game staff and ADA parking). The game will be streamed live on the Owls Sports Network  (now on YouTube) with Mike Safford on the call, with Live Stats available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
NOTE START TIME: Saturday's game will have an early 8:30 in the morning start time to accommodate Arizona Christian's travel plans back to Phoenix.
 
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 – ARIZONA CHRISTIAN: Coming off a 10-5-1 season in 2023, Arizona Christian was picked fifth in the preseason Great Southwest Athletic Conference coaches' poll – with the Firestorm opening the year with a convincing 5-0 win over Goshen (Ind.). ACU averaged nearly two goals per game last season (1.94), paced by 2-time All-GSAC forward Cami Marcado (12 goals, 2 assists) – who tallied a pair of counters in their opening win. Returners Justine Underwood (7 goals, 4 assists) and Shayla Mobo (2 goals, 3 assists) are key options in the attack, while keeper Tayler Wonderly (1.56 GAA, 42 saves, .750 save pct.) split time in goal last season.
 
HISTORY BETWEEN TECH AND FIREBIRDS: Technically, Saturday's match-up is the second meeting – though the teams played last season in Phoenix, with the contest cancelled in the ninth minute due to lightning. In 2014, the two sides met at a neutral site in Lancaster, Calif., as OIT got a pair of Tarryn Miyamura first half goals in a 2-1 victory.
 
AGAINST THE NEW GSAC: Arizona Christian is the first of four members of the newly named Great Southwest Athletic Conference (formerly Golden State Athletic Conference) that OIT will play this season – as the Owls have matches scheduled against Hope International, The Master's and Park Gilbert. The 8-team league has lost 12 members over the last 14 years – including each of the original members (all to the NCAA). Tech is 1-4-1 all-time against current GSAC members, with the team a combined 12-12-1 all-time against all GSAC teams.
 
HOME OPENERS: Saturday marks the start of the 25th season of games played in Klamath Falls, with the Lady Owls a combined 13-8-3 in opening games in the Basin. OIT had a 5-game win streak in home openers snapped last season vs. Bushnell – the latest home opener in program history (Sept. 23).
 
SUCCESS ON THE TURF: Over the first 24 seasons of women's soccer, the Owls are 107-58-18 in matches played in Klamath Falls. Since the school installed turf at the on-campus venue in 2017, Tech has been dominant, recording a 38-4-7 mark, including a 3-1-1 record in 2023 – carrying a 4-match unbeaten streak into 2024.
 
ONLY NON-CONFERENCE MATCH AT HOME: The Arizona Christian contest marks the lone home non-league game in 2024 – coming off a 2023 season where for the first time in program history, the Lady Owls did not play a non-league game (though a scheduled match with Simpson was moved to Redding due to air quality concerns). The Owls have played three non-league matches in a season six times (2016, 2013, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003), with the 2011 team playing a school-record six non-league dates.
 
AN OPENING DRAW: OIT began the 2024 season in Newberg on Saturday, playing Division III George Fox to a 1-1 draw. The Lady Owls dominated the pitch for the majority of the afternoon, recording a commanding 17-4 edge in total shots – but were unable to find the net until late in the second half on a Kiana Jacobson penalty kick. Unfortunately for Tech, GFU got the equalizer five minutes later and turned away four quality chances for the Owls inside the last five minutes in the stalemate.
 
TIE GAMES: The draw marked the 36th time in program history that OIT and an opponent played to a tie and the ninth 1-1 draw. The Owls have played to a scoreless score 19 times, with Tech and an opponent playing to a 2-2 score eight times.
 
FROM THE SPOT: It took the Owls one game to score off a penalty kick – equaling the total of penalty kicks by the team in each of the past two seasons (with the 2021 team not attempting a chance from the 12-yard spot). In 2005 and 2006, OIT recorded school records with three conversions on penalty kicks.
 
MAKING THEIR DEBUT: Though all 11 starters for the Lady Owls against George Fox were returning players from the 2023 season, nine newcomers to the program took the pitch. Four freshmen – Raeah Raymondo, Kathleen Wyborny, Layne Lively and Caitlyn Price made their collegiate debuts, while transfer athletes Solei Elletson, Caneel Corpuz, Jazmine Campbell, Emma Glazebrook and Sydney Soskis saw action in the draw.
 
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.
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: The Cascade Conference had success last week, as both Southern Oregon and Warner Pacific stopped Simpson, Northwest defeated Puget Sound, with Carroll traveling to Indiana and earned a win and a draw. This weekend, Multnomah, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon open their schedules – as the Lions play a trio of matches against D-III teams, C of I heads to Arizona to met Embry-Riddle, Park Gilbert and OUAZ, with Eastern facing D-II teams in Northwest Nazarene and Westminster.
 
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 (107).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Tech hits the road next weekend for two matches in California – a Thursday date at The Master's and a Saturday contest at Hope International.