COMING UP: at Park Gilbert, Thursday, 6 p.m.; at No. 17 Embry-Riddle, Saturday, 7 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Thursday's match at Park Gilbert (at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa) will be streamed through Robat TV, with Stats available through StatBroadcast. Saturday's match in Prescott at Embry-Riddle will be carried via HUDL, with Live Stats online through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – PARK GILBERT: The trip to the desert begins in the Phoenix metro and a meeting with Park Gilbert – the third-straight season the two teams have met on the pitch. The Buccaneers (1-0) are coming off a 5-10-3 season in 2024 and picked seventh in the GSAC preseason poll. The 2025 team opened the year with a dominating 7-0 shutout of Justice College – as returning midfielder Luren Runnion posted a hat trick and All-GSAC midfielder Alicia Ypina had two assists. Forward Kalei Ganotisi had two goals and midfielder Abri McCaster assisted on two others, with returning keepers Journey Morikawa and Morgan Trail split time in the win. Park won the first meeting between the teams in Arizona, 2-0, in 2023, while OIT earned a neutral site 2-1 win last year.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EMBRY-RIDDLE: Tech makes the journey Saturday to 5,300 feet in elevation, meeting No. 17-ranked Embry-Riddle, the defending GSAC champions. The Eagles will open the new season against the Lady Owls – their first game since seeing a 15-3-3 campaign end in a loss to UC Merced in the NAIA Tournament. ERAU lost five All-GSAC performers, including their top playmaker, two defenders and a keeper – but All-GSAC midfielders Jamie Black (14 goals, 6 assists) and Jamie Brandon (8 goals, 3 assists) are back, along with forward Ella Carnahan (4 goals, 2 assists). The two sides have played twice before – with OIT losing a neutral site match in 2008, while the two sides played to a 0-0 draw in 2019.
 
AGAINST THE NEW GSAC: Both Park Gilbert and Embry-Riddle are members of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (formerly Golden State Athletic Conference) – the final games of a string of 3-straight contests against the fellow NAIA league. The 10-team circuit has lost 12 members over the last 14 years – including each of the original members (all to the NCAA), but gained two schools – Soka and La Sierra. Tech is 5-5-1 all-time against current GSAC members, with the team a combined 16-13-1 all-time against all GSAC teams. OIT will play 4-of-6 preseason matches against GSAC teams – defeating Benedictine Mesa last week, 4-0, while hosting Hope International, on September 8.
 
TOP-25 OPPONENTS: Embry-Riddle will mark the 40th game OIT has played against a Top-25 team in program history, with the Lady Owls 6-28-5 against nationally-ranked foes. If you take out 21 losses to Concordia-Portland from 2000-15, Tech is 6-7-5 against Top-25 opponents. The Owls are scheduled to play at No. 3 College of Idaho in October, while hosting Westcliff and Hope International in the next two weeks – both teams receiving votes in the preseason NAIA poll.
 
PLAYING IN AUGUST: The two matches in Arizona will close out the month of August for Tech, the 22nd-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 21-20-5 record in the month. Five times, Tech has played just one August match, while the 2006 team played four August contests.
 
SUCCESS ON THE TURF: During the 25 seasons of women's soccer at OIT, the Lady Owls are 114-60-18 in matches played in Klamath Falls. Since the school installed turf at the on-campus venue in 2017, Tech has been nearly unbeatable, recording a 45-6-7 mark (.836 win percentage).

DOMINANT OPENER: The Lady Owls opened the home season last Thursday, dominating Benedictine Mesa in a 4-0 shutout. Tech had a 14-2 edge in total shots and controlled possession throughout – allowing 28 players to see the pitch.
 
NEWCOMERS MAKE IMPACT: The Owls got 3-of-4 goals from players new to their program – all high-quality chances. Transfer Olivia Mendoza ripped a shot into the left corner of the net after collecting a rebound off a corner kick late in the first half to make it 2-0. Freshman Claire Cowan extended the lead early in the second half, creating a chance outside the box and rocketing a low shot into the net, while freshman Naaliyah Robinson blasted an 18-yard left footed missile into the net to cap the scoring.
 
RETURNERS SET THE TONE: OIT got key production from their returners in the win – including sophomore Raeah Raymondo, who converted a first half penalty kick to get the Owls on the scoreboard. Fellow sophomore Jaylee Curran served a perfect corner late in the first half that led to a goal, while senior Emma Glazebrook played a quality cross into the area – leading to the Owls final goal.
 
NEW KEEPER, SAME RESULTS: Transfer Elle Hillar won a 4-way battle for the starting goalkeeper spot – and opened 2025 with a clean sheet in the win over BenU. A year after recording 11 shutouts, Hillar was helped by a stout defense, needing to make just one save in the victory.
 
COLLEGE DEBUTS: Nine players took the field for the first time in a college uniform – Kaia Fetch, Maegan Cooper, Hannah Robbins, Brynne Cope, Amyrah Hill, Naaliyah Robinson, Claire Cowan, Alejandra Salcedo and Beta Valentine.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Seven of the 13 CCC teams made their season debuts last week – including OIT and Southern Oregon topping Benedictine Mesa, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon defeating Dordt, Corban and Evergreen State dropping a match to Pacific, with Northwest splitting contests vs. Division III teams. This week, four teams open their season, with Warner Pacific and Bushnell playing in the Valley, with Carroll and Rocky Mountain traveling to Arizona.
 
LADY OWLS PICKED SECOND IN CCC POLL: Despite losing seven starters and five All-CCC players to graduation, the Lady Owls were picked second in the 2025 Cascade Conference Preseason Poll. Tech earned 140 voter points from the 13 coaches – trailing only College of Idaho, who advanced to the NAIA national semifinals. Eastern Oregon, Carroll, Southern Oregon and Rocky Mountain round out the Top-6, with OIT having to face all five teams on the road this season.
 
NEXT WEEK: Tech will return to the Basin next week, starting a 5-match homestand, beginning with a Thursday (Sept. 4) date with Westcliff, followed by a morning match-up on Sept. 8 vs. Hope International.