ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland women's soccer gears up for its third week of the regular season with two highly anticipated matchups: a home contest against Ohio University and a road trip to South Bend to take on No. 7 Notre Dame.
The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a 1-0 loss at Toledo, where they held strong on both sides of the ball aside from the lone goal allowed.
Thursday marks Oakland's return to the Oakland Soccer Field for the first time since its offensive breakout against Mercyhurst on Aug. 21, when the Golden Grizzlies scored four goals — their most in four years — behind a hat trick from
Brae Cole, two assists from
Ella Shapiro, and a goal from
Mallory Anderson.
Through four matches this season, Oakland has tallied five goals, already reaching half of its scoring total from 2024.
Thursday, Aug. 28 vs. Ohio | 7 p.m. | Kid's Day
Oakland and Ohio meet for the second straight season after last year's matchup in Athens, which marked the first-ever meeting between the programs. In that contest,
Frankie Mudd and
Isabella Bierod combined for three shots on goal in the loss.
The Golden Grizzlies face their third Mid-American Conference opponent of the year in Ohio, which is 1-3 to start the season after a 3-1 setback to Marshall on Aug. 24.
In 2024, the Bobcats finished 11-5-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament before falling to Buffalo.
Ohio is led by junior forward Jaimason Brooker, who recorded a team-high seven goals and six assists last season. The Bobcats ranked second in the MAC in goals (36) and third in points (93).
Sunday, Aug. 31 at Notre Dame | 6 p.m.
Oakland heads to South Bend for a one-match road trip against nationally ranked Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish enter the week ranked No. 7 in the nation with a 2-0-1 record, most recently earning a 4-0 win over Cincinnati on Aug. 21. Through three matches, they have outscored opponents 8-3 and have allowed just one goal at home while holding a perfect 2-0 record at Alumni Stadium.
Last season, Notre Dame reached the ACC Championship Game before falling 2-1 to Florida State. The Irish earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Women's College Cup, advancing to the third round before being eliminated by three-seed Stanford, 2-0.
Oakland is still searching for its first-ever win against Notre Dame, holding an 0-6 record in the all-time series. The last meeting came in 2019, when the Golden Grizzlies nearly pulled off an upset in Rochester before falling 1-0.
