COMING UP: at Evergreen, Friday, 3 p.m.; at Northwest, Saturday, 3 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Live Video of all Cascade Conference soccer matches will be available through the Cascade Sports Network, with Live State available via OIT's SIDEARM Stats platform. Links are available via OregonTechOwls.com.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – EVERGREEN (2-0-2) | 25TH MEETING | TESC LEADS SERIES, 11-10-3 | LAST MEETING IN 2025 (OIT 3, TESC 0): The first of 12 conference games starts in Washington, as OIT heads to Olympia and a date against Evergreen. The Geoducks have surpassed their win total from 2025, earning home wins against Pacific and Simpson, while playing Linfield and OUAZ to draws. Kolby Juarez (1 goal, 3 assists) and Luca Viana (1 goal, 2 assists) pace the offense, with defenders Brock Larson and Miles DeLaRosa keying the backs. Veteran keeper Tom Cole (0.48 GAA) is key to the Greeners success. The Owls are looking to even the all-time series with TESC, including a 4-5-2 mark in the Capitol City.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – NORTHWEST (2-1-1) | 27TH MEETING | NU LEADS SERIES, 14-10-2 | LAST MEETING IN 2025 (OIT 4, NU 1): The opening trip in CCC play ends in Kirkland, as the Owls square off against Northwest. The Eagles have posted 2-1 victories against both OUAZ and Simpson, but have a draw vs. George Fox and dropped a road date at Pacific. The duo of Matthew Ludlow (2 goals) and Nick Rivera (2 goals) are the top playmakers – Ludlow scoring nine goals in 2025 and Rivera leading the team with five assists. Defensively Pedro Dionisio anchors the back line in front of All-CCC keeper Bailey Hopkins (0.75 GAA, 13 saves). The Owls won last season in Klamath, 4-1, but are looking to improve on a 5-9-1 mark on the Eagles home field.
 
CONFERENCE SEASON UPON US: The 13 teams in the Cascade Conference open their league season this week, as each of the sides will play 12 games to determine a regular-season champ that will earn an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament, along with the eight teams that will advance to the CCC Championships to play for a second national berth. This season, OIT will play 7-of-12 conference matches in the Basin, hosting the six teams (Warner Pacific, Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon, College of Idaho, Rocky Mountain and Carroll) picked ahead of them in the CCC preseason poll.

UNBEATEN STARTS TO SEASON: The Owls head into the weekend with an unbeaten 2-0-4 record, the fourth time an OIT team has opened a season unbeaten through six matches. The 2021 team won their first six matches (best start without a draw), while both the 2019 team (5-0-2) and 2025 team (4-0-3) were unbeaten through seven contests.
 
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: After failing to score goals in each of their past two games, Tech broke out of their offensive slump in a big way, scoring seven goals in a 7-1 victory at Pacific Union. It was the highest scoring output since the 2023 season and the ninth time OIT has posted 7-or-more goals in a game. The 7-goal effort equaled the most goals in a non-conference match, as the Owls previously defeated Menlo, 7-0, in 2010. Six of the previous eight matches with 7-or-more goals, including each of the four highest scoring games, came against either now-defunct Multnomah or Walla Walla.
 
COTA NETS BRACE: For the first time in nearly two seasons, the Owls had a player post two goals in a game, as Cash Cota found the net twice in the opening half. The junior scored from nearly the identical spot, taking crosses from Kevin Alvarenga and Merrick Tambio in the left side of the box and touching home 18-yard shots. Cota leads Tech with three goals on the season, ranking No. 2 overall in the CCC.
 
ADDING TO THE POINT TOTAL: Four players recorded their second goal of season at Pacific Union, as Cannon Spooner and Andrew George each headed home a cross, Yahir Ramos redirected a clearance into the net, with Layne Worrell burying a 18-yard strike into the left corner of the twine. Dalton Rideout broke through as well, posting his tenth collegiate goal with a late-game penalty kick.
 
IN GOAL: Noah Harwood played the first 53 minutes in goal for Tech at Pacific Union, running a streak of scoreless minutes to 241 before being lifted. Replacing the redshirt freshman was sophomore Jonathan Laitinen, who made his collegiate debut, surrendering a goal and making a save in 37 minutes of action. Tech as a team heads into CCC play with a 0.83 goals against average.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: It was a short slate of games to close out non-conference play, as Rocky Mountain went to South Dakota and earned wins over South Dakota Mines and Dakota Wesleyan, Corban topped Lewis & Clark, while both Evergreen and Northwest defeated Simpson. CCC play opens Thursday and runs through Sunday, as Providence travels to Corban and Bushnell, Rocky Mountain is at Carroll, OIT and Southern head to Evergreen and Northwest, with Walla Walla and Warner Pacific making the trip to Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho.
 
CCC STANDINGS: Corban 3-0-0, Southern Oregon 3-0-1, Bushnell 4-0-2, Evergreen 2-0-2, Rocky Mountain 2-0-2, Oregon Tech 2-0-4, Northwest 2-1-1, Warner Pacific 2-1-1, Carroll 1-2-1, Eastern Oregon 0-1-2, College of Idaho 0-3-1, Providence 0-2-0, Walla Walla 0-2-0.
 
CCC LEADERS: Goals Scored – J.P. Warnell (SOU) 4, Cash Cota (OIT) 3, Joan Remo Morales 3, 12 Players with 2; Assists – Brady Housley (BU) 4, Kevin Alvarenga (OIT) 3, Kolby Juarez (TESC) 3, 5 Players with 2; Shot Attempts – Luis Gonzalez (WPU) 19, Henry Lopez (EOU) 13, Antonio Virrueta (CRB) 12, Nicolas Sanchez (CAR) 12, Joan Remo Morales (BU) 12; Goals Against Average – Rylan Davidson (CRB) 0.00, Aaron Lowry (BU) 0.46, Tom Cole (TESC) 0.48, Jonathan Flores (WPU) 0.67; Shutouts – Noah Harwood (OIT) 3, Rylan Davidson (CRB) 3, Biruk Paulos-Negatu 2, Aaron Lowery (BU) 1, Daniel Espinosa (SOU) 1.
 
RECORD BOOK: Currently, two players rank among the OIT Top-20 in the career record book, Noah Harwood is No. 10 in keeper shutouts (3) and Dalton Rideout is No. 15 in program history in goals scored (10) and No. 18 in points (22).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Owls begin a final stretch of matches at home, closing the season with 7-of-10 on their own turf. Tech begins a 3-game homestand against rival Southern Oregon next Friday, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.