11 a.m. Saturday – Menlo (3-1) at SOU (2-2)
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ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon University men's soccer team is home for the first time Saturday for its final non-conference game, working on a 2-2 record against Menlo (Calif.) at Raider Stadium.

The match between the Raiders (2-2) and the Oaks (3-1) is set for an 11 a.m. start. Kickoff was originally scheduled for 2 p.m., but the teams agreed on the change this week in an effort to avoid high temperatures that are forecasted to reach triple digits.

NAIA TOP 25: The Raiders continued to receive votes in the first NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll of the regular season, which was released Wednesday by the national office. The Raiders are 41st overall in points, and Corban moved into the poll at No. 25 as the Cascade Conference's lone representative after a 4-0 start. SOU last held a Top 25 spot in the 2019 preseason.

SOU vs. MENLO: Menlo leads the head-to-head series against SOU, 3-2, but the Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win last year. All five previous matchups have been played in Atherton, Calif., on the Oaks' home field. The Oaks were picked to finish third in the Golden State Athletic Conference after going 10-8 overall in 2021. Their 3-1 start includes wins over Pacific Union (Calif.), Antelope Valley (Calif.) and Westcliff (Calif.). Four different players have scored multiple goals, and Levin Ledergerber leads the team with six points (2 goals, 2 assists).

LAST TIME OUT: The Raiders' most recent trip to Arizona yielded a mixed bag. On Sunday, they dominated Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) – which received votes in the NAIA preseason poll – to the tune of a 4-1 victory, getting a goal and an assist apiece from Alan Gaytan and Sam Walker and two assists from Tybalt Thornberry. The next day, they dropped a 1-0 decision to San Diego Christian despite accumulating seven shots on goal, their most-ever in a shutout, and 17 total shots. They had considerable advantages in both categories.

ADDIE TIES GOALS RECORD: Senior forward Noah Addie tied Carlos Magana for SOU's all-time goals record with a pair in the Raiders' season-opening win over Life Pacific, depositing the 20th and 21st of his career. A trio of all-conference juniors, however, are on the chase: Alan Gaytan is up to 20 career goals, Adrian Villegas has 14, and Sam Walker has 13 as the team's leader with four this season. On SOU's all-time points list, Gaytan (47) is No. 1, Addie (46) is No. 2, and Villegas (42) is two away from moving into the No. 3 spot.

HOME HISTORY: Since head coach Davie Carmichael took over in 2018, the Raiders are 25-3-1 in home games. They went 7-1 at Raider Stadium last year, and they're 39-8-3 all-time at the venue. The Raiders have only played six non-conference regular season games in Ashland and won five of them.

CARMICHAEL SURPASSES 50 WINS: SOU's first win of the season also marked the 50th in Carmichael's five-year tenure. He now stands at 51-14-6 – good for a .761 winning percentage – with a 34-6-3 mark in Cascade Conference play. As a program, the Raiders are three wins away from 90 since debuting in 2015.

COMING UP: SOU, tabbed as the preseason co-favorite in the CCC, will have a target on its back when it starts circuit play on the road next week. The Raiders open on Sept. 16-17 at Northwest (Wash.) and Evergreen (Wash.), then will play at defending conference co-champion Oregon Tech on Sept. 23 before returning home.