CCC Soccer | Saturday | Raider Stadium (Laurel Field)
12 p.m. Women – Providence (4-3-2, 4-2-0) at SOU (7-1-1, 4-0-1) | Live Stats
2:30 p.m. Men – Providence (3-5-2, 3-2-1) at SOU (8-2-1, 3-2-0) | Live Stats
LIVE STREAMS | TICKETS

WOMEN'S NOTES
THE MATCHUP: Southern Oregon is alone in second place, two points behind No. 5-ranked College of Idaho, entering another key Cascade Conference contest Saturday against Providence (Mont.). After being picked to finish fifth in the conference preseason poll, the Raiders are 4-0-1 in the circuit and two results away from matching the longest CCC-opening unbeaten streak in team history. A year ago, they didn't collect their fourth conference win until their ninth game. They'll run into a Providence team that has been another surprise after being picked to finish 12th place, though the Argos' victims to this point have totaled two CCC wins combined. They feature one of the CCC's top keepers in Multnomah transfer Jennifer Alvillar, who made seven saves and scored on a penalty kick in last year's Lions upset of SOU.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW: The Raiders' second-half dominance persisted in Montana, where they defeated Rocky Mountain, 3-0, and Carroll, 2-0, after entering halftime of both games scoreless. Kaylah Bresee and Brooklyn Hayes were voted CCC Players of the Week following the six-point trip – Bresee for scoring two goals and playing all 180 minutes on a back line that helped turn in two clean sheets, and Hayes for recording two goals and an assist in the wins. Goalkeeper Brittany Standley was also stellar with eight saves: she matched a season-high with five at Carroll.

SERIES HISTORY: The Raiders are 9-1 all-time against the Argos, including a 7-1 record in CCC games and a 6-0 record in Ashland. They've won five straight in the series and took a 1-0 decision last year as Payton Puppe-Wotipka scored the lone goal in the 69th minute.

BRIEFLY:

• Bresee has now scored goals in four consecutive games after going her previous 26 appearances without one as a defender. Hayes, meanwhile, has recorded four goals and one assist in CCC play and five goals with two assists on the season. Frida Vargas (2 goals, 5 assists) and Macie Yannoni (1 goal, 3 assists) have acted as the primary creators.
• The Raiders have outscored their opponents 24-6 combined. They're scoring 2.7 goals per game compared to 1.8 a season ago.
• SOU is 4-1-1 at home this season and 21-7-5 over the last five seasons.

MEN'S NOTES
THE MATCHUP: The Raiders are in need of a pick-me-up after dropping back-to-back CCC games last week for the first time since 2022, and they're entering must-win mode early to keep their regular-season championship hopes alive. They're still tied for third on the table but will have to do this week without Tristan Skerritt, the reigning CCC Defensive Player of the Year, against Providence after he was sent off for using his hand to deny a goal-scoring opportunity last Saturday at Carroll. The Argos were shut out for the fifth time this fall in their most recent outing against Evergreen, though that result was preceded by a four-game unbeaten streak.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW: The Raiders sustained a tough blow early on in their trip to Montana when All-CCC defender Josue Ghiessy Biveghe left Thursday's game at Rocky Mountain with an injury. Without him around, the Bears accumulated a 16-6 shots advantage and found the deciding goal of a 1-0 decision in the 54th minute. Ghiessy Biveghe remained out for Saturday's 3-1 loss at Carroll, and the Raiders – after taking a 1-0 lead on an Irwin Leon goal – had to play a man down for the final 67 minutes due to Skerritt's departure. The defending-champion Saints took advantage, breaking a tie with a pair of goals early in the second half.

SERIES HISTORY: The Raiders are 6-2-1 in the all-time series with Providence and have scored shutout victories in each of the last three victories. The Argos last won in Ashland in 2015.

BRIEFLY:

• Leon is up to eight goals, ranking third on the conference leaderboard. He tallied seven of those in his last six outings and put 20 of his 32 shots on target.
• Casey Ruvolo leads the CCC in total saves (36) and ranks third in save percentage (.800). He is sitting on 26 career shutouts, including four this season, and needs four more to match Wyatt Zabinski's team record.
• The Raiders are 5-0 at home this season and 30-4-1 in Ashland over the last five seasons. They've never before lost three consecutive conference games.