ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Golden Grizzlies head into their final four games of the regular season looking to keep their postseason chances high as they take on Youngstown State (YSU) and Robert Morris this week.
Currently sitting tied for sixth place in the Horizon League, Oakland is in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2022, sitting alongside IU Indy with seven points in the standings.
Oakland is looking to extend its five-game unbeaten streak after tying league-leading Milwaukee on Sunday. After a scoreless draw, the Golden Grizzlies became the first Horizon League team this season to not lose to Milwaukee — and the first to shut them out.
Oakland keeper
Maryn Weiger became the first conference goalkeeper since 2023 to hold Milwaukee scoreless, building on a week where she earned two shutouts and totaled 11 saves.
THURSDAY, OCT. 16 @ YOUNGSTOWN STATE | 6 PM | ESPN+
The Penguins and the Golden Grizzlies face off for their annual meeting, with YSU (5-8-2, 4-1-2 HL) currently sitting in second place in the conference.
YSU has won three of its last four matches and has gone unbeaten in five straight games — just like Oakland. Also similar to Oakland, YSU has shut out both of its last two opponents, most recently defeating IU Indy 2-0.
With the third-most shots on goal (39) in conference play, the Penguins have fielded a sneaky-good attacking unit led by
Kamryn Rosa and
Sara Felder, who each have five goals on the season.
Defensively, YSU's goalkeeping unit is among the best in the conference, leading in both total saves (100) and saves per game (6.67). Keeper
Maya Naimoli also leads the league individually with 85 saves.
SUNDAY, OCT. 19 @ ROBERT MORRIS | 1 PM | ESPN+
The Golden Grizzlies close out the week with a match against fifth-place Robert Morris. The Colonials (4-6-3, 2-2-2 HL) sit in the middle of the pack as the season winds down, just one point above Oakland entering the week.
Robert Morris is coming off a 3-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne and will face Cleveland State on Thursday, Oct. 16, before hosting Oakland.
The Colonials have been one of the top passing squads in the conference, ranking fourth in assists (15). However, they've also had moments of defensive struggle, allowing the fourth-most goals (9) in conference play — two more than Oakland, which ranks among the top five fewest allowed.
They are led by
Ava Trethewey, whose five goals this season rank in the league's top ten — one behind Oakland's
Brae Cole, who sits fifth with six goals.
These two matches provide the Golden Grizzlies a prime opportunity to extend their momentum and unbeaten streak while strengthening their push toward the Horizon League postseason.