Following a Senior Day shutout that kept the Braves in the postseason hunt, Ottawa hosts Southwestern College in a midweek tilt at Dick Peters Sports Complex. Kickoff on Wednesday is set for 1 p.m.

The Matchup

Ottawa brings an overall record of 21-6-4 into Wednesday's meeting, but the recent trend has been a mixed bag. Each of the last three matches ended in draws, with the 2024 meeting between the teams the only one that saw any scoring, a 1-1 draw on the road.

When goals have been scored, however, Ottawa holds a copious 90-22 scoring edge, with 12 shutouts over the 31 prior meetings.

Last Time Out

Ottawa controlled every aspect of last Sunday's senior day match against Bethany, picking up a 7-0 win on the afternoon. Charlotte Gatehouse tallied her second hat trick of the season, with seniors Laura Quijada and Cennet Donahue joining Ellie Fitzpatrick and Reece Young on the scoresheet.

The Braves were able to give time to all three active keepers in the match, with Lillian Maynard and Lena-Marie Winkler each picking up second-half saves for Ottawa.

About Southwestern College

Southwestern brings a mixed record into Wednesday's match, as the Moundbuilders have posted a 5-3-2 record in league play after going 1-4 in nonconference action to start 2026.

Offensively, Jade Smallwood (5 g, 3 a) and Amiyah Baker (4 g, 3 a) are the leading scorers for Southwestern, with just shy of half of the squad's 20 goals on the year. Millie Hazzard has also added three goals and three assists for the Moundbuilders on the year.

In goal for Southwestern, Liliana Hernandez has seen the bulk of action on the year, starting in all 11 of her appearances and posting a goals-against average of 1.42 over 888:08 on the year with a .781 save percentage. Djoy Zwiesereijn has picked up the remaining 416:52 in goal, recording four starts and seven total appearances. Her save percentage of .586 and goals-against average of 2.59 are slightly inflated by a 6-0 loss against current no. 25 Hastings College early in the season.

Looking At The Playoff Picture

Unlike the men's side, only one team (Oklahoma Wesleyan) has clinched a berth in the KCAC postseason tournament coming into Wednesday's action. The Braves are currently looking up at the three-way deadlock for the eight spot, with nine points, but each of those three teams along with OU hold a game in hand on sixth-place Southwestern.

Similarly, there are no teams that have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, although that may change following Wednesday's results.

Ottawa does hold its playoff hopes in hand, with the remainder of the schedule positioning the Braves for a good run. OU's next two matches are against teams within striking distance in the standings and OU's season finale against Sterling College could feature an opponent already eliminated from postseason contention.

Welcome (Back) Home

After playing the past several seasons at AdventHealth Field, Ottawa returns to the Dick Peters Sports Complex for the 2026 season.

"We are excited to be returning home to Dick Peters Sports Complex," said head coach James Cottage. "Playing on a soccer specific field, a field that is longer and wider, it will really match what we're trying to achieve. We want to play with fast wingers that can get into one on one opportunities, but this field will help defenders as well."

In addition to the benefits for the team, the fan experience is also expected to be improved with the move to Peters.

"With the move, fans can be closer to the field and really get up close and be that extra bit of support for our team," added Cottage. "I want to make it feel like a home, a place where teams look at it and go 'Oh, we've got to go to Ottawa. We have to play on that big field and it's going to be a mess.' That's what we're looking for."