COMING UP: at Carroll College, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. (MDT)/6:30 p.m. (PDT); at Rocky Mountain, Saturday, 1 p.m. (MDT)/12 p.m. (PDT)

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Both matches from Montana will be streamed online – Thursday's match at Carroll through HUDL TV, with Saturday's match at Rocky Mountain through YouTube – with Live Stats of both matches available online through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
SCHEDULE UPDATE: The Hustlin' Owls match-up on Saturday at Rocky Mountain has had an adjusted time – to accommodate the OIT women's team travel plans (Lady Owls return flight is set for early Saturday afternoon) – with kickoff from Billings, Mont., now set for 1 p.m. (MDT) / 12 p.m. (PDT)
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CARROLL COLLEGE: The trip starts in Helena and a date at Carroll College, as the Fighting Saints (5-1-1, 3-0 CCC) return a veteran line-up that reached the second-round of the NAIA National Tournament in 2024. The Saints are making their home debut after seven matches on the road, holding a 13-4 edge in goal scored – thanks to a defense anchored by CCC Defensive Player of the Year Justus Hermann and CCC Goalkeeper of the Year Juan Muniz Navarrette (0.57 GAA). CCC Player of the Year, Felix Billard (1 goal), along with CCC Newcomer of the Year, Alfie Snow (3 goals), pace the attack, alongside Nils Benning (3 goals, 1 assist) and Sam Loughton (3 goals, 1 assist). Carroll swept two matches from OIT last season, including a 2-1 decision in the CCC Tournament semifinals, with the Saints leading the all-time series, 5-4-2.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – ROCKY MOUNTAIN: Saturday, it's off to Rocky Mountain and a match-up against a Battlin' Bears (2-1-3, 1-1-1) team that leads the CCC in goals per game (4.0). Rocky is an offensive juggernaut, posting a 109-46 edge in total shots – with the trio of David Russell (6 goals, 2 assists), Lorenzo Klamler (5 goals) and Luke Tooze (4 goals) leading the attack. Two returning All-CCC defenders – Ryan Daniel (2 assists) and Henry Chalkley (1 assist) pace the back line, along with goalkeeper Anton Williams (1.84 GAA, 12 saves). It is the 13th meeting between the sides, with Rocky holding an 8-3-1 all-time series edge, including a 5-1-1 mark in the Yellowstone River Valley.
 
LONG TRIP: The Owls head to the furthest reaches of the Cascade Conference – traveling to Montana (Helena and Billings) for key league match-ups. This trip is different than others – as Tech will fly from Medford to the Treasure State – instead of traversing a 900-mile, 14-hour one-way bus ride. OIT will return to the Basin on Sunday morning in preparation for their home date next Friday.
 
IN MONTANA: Tech made two trips to Montana, in 2008 and 2010, prior to the Cascade Conference adding affiliate members in soccer. Since Providence, Carroll and Rocky Mountain joined the league in 2015, the Owls have headed to Big Sky country every year (minus the 2020 CoVID season), with OIT posting a 4-9-2 record in Montana.
 
ON GRASS: For the first time this season, the Owls will play a match on grass (Saturday's date at Wendy's Field at Rocky Mountain) – and put a five-match unbeaten streak on the line. OIT is a combined 2-0-3 in their last five matches on a natural surface, with the last loss in 2022 in the NAIA Tournament at MidAmerica Nazarene. Five schools – Rocky, Evergreen, Northwest, Walla Walla and Providence – play games on grass.
 
TOUGH, TOUGH LOSS: The Owls battled for 90 minutes against league-leading Southern Oregon – with the match looking as if it would end in a scoreless draw. Unfortunately for Tech, an unlucky bounce on a long clearance eluded a pair of OIT defenders, allowing SOU to score the lone goal of the match and claim a 1-0 victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The OIT-SOU match-up was even – as Tech recorded 12 shots in the contest, including seven on frame – with Anthony Aguiar-Casillas and Ben Bradshaw each posting two shots on goal. Southern had 17 shots in the contest – the most by an OIT opponent this season – with keeper Harvey Bolland making four key saves.
 
DUBIOUS MARK STANDS: Unfortunately for the Owls, Tech fell to 0-5 all-time against Southern at Raider Stadium – with the team still searching for their first-ever goal on SOU's home turf.
 
DEFENSE STILL AMONG THE BEST: Despite the loss, the Hustlin' Owls still rank among the NAIA's elite defensive teams, heading into their Montana trip with a 0.50 goals against average. Tech currently leads the CCC in GAA and ranks No. 3 in the NAIA.
 
STARTING 11 STAYS FIRM: Through eight matches, seven players on the OIT roster have started every match in 2025 – Sylver Schweiger, Ben Bradshaw, Anthony Aguiar Casillas, Patrick Chan, Bridger Meyer, Cooper Hunt and Harvey Bolland – while one player (Reece Fletcher) has started 7-of-8 and three players (Merrick Tambio, Kasey Smith, Cash Cota) starting 6-of-8.
 
INSIDE THE CCC: Both Providence and Carroll claimed road sweeps last week – UP winning at Walla Walla and Warner Pacific, with Carroll winning at Evergreen and Northwest – while College of Idaho swept Corban and Bushnell, the first loss of the season for Bushnell. Southern Oregon joins Tech in Montana this week – set for a first-place date at Carroll, while Warner Pacific and Walla Walla travel to Corban and Bushnell, both Northwest and Evergreen head to Providence, while Eastern makes the short trip to C of I.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Goals – Bodo Calderon (WPU) 10, Omar Barajas (BU) 10, Matthew Ludlow (NU) 8, Irwin Leon (SOU) 7, Four Players tied with 6; Assists – Henry Lopez (EOU) 6, Barajas 5, Caleb Primo (BU) 5, Nick Rivera (NU) 5, Aaron Lawson (RMC) 5; Points – Barajas 25, Calderon 21, Ludlow 16, Leon 15, David Russell (RMC) 14; Shots – Barajas 35, Calderon 33, Papa Yansane (SOU) 30, Ludlow 28, Leon 28; Goals Against Average – Anthony Lemus (EOU) 0.43, Harvey Bolland (OIT) 0.50, Casey Ruvalo (SOU) 0.56, Juan Munoz Navarrette (CAR) 0.57, William Haverfield (BU) 1.11.
 
TEAM LEADERS: As a team, Tech leads the Cascade Conference in goals against average (0.50), ranking No. 4 in shutouts (4), No. 7 in assists (9), No. 9 in shots per game (11.4), No. 10 in goals per game (1.50), No. 11 in corner kicks (18) and No. 12 in saves (17).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Hustlin' Owls return home next Friday (Oct. 10) for a single match against the University of Providence. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the OIT Soccer Field.