Following its third straight win over teams ahead of them in the standings, Ottawa looks to claim a postseason berth on Saturday hosting Sterling College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The Matchup

Ottawa has been absolutely dominant in the all-time series between the teams, surrendering only four losses in the previous 38 meetings with no draws. Aside from the first three meetings of the series, Ottawa has never suffered back-to-back losses against the Warriors, with the last coming in 2006.

OU is currently on a 23-match winning streak against Sterling and hasn't allowed more than one goal since the 2008 season. Overall, Ottawa has posted 20 shutouts during the series, with the last coming in 2021.

Last Time Out

Reece Young scored her third goal of the season - an alert chip from 40 yards out in the 77th minute - and Makena Tapia recorded her second shutout of the year to give Ottawa a huge 1-0 upset over Friends University on Wednesday. Friends had the better part of the possession throughout the contest, but the Braves held firm and made the most of a turnover to climb into sixth in the league standings.

About Sterling College

Already eliminated from the playoff picture, Sterling brings a 1-9-2 record into Saturday's contest, with a somewhat sparse 15 goals on the year.

April Isbell (4 g, 3 a) leads the Warriors with 11 points, with Marley Burgess-Duquette just behind with nine points (3 g, 1 a) on the year. Kadence Hardman, Vivian Ramirez and Gianna Randall have each tallied for two on the year.

Bella Duckworth has seen the bulk of action in goal for Sterling on the year, starting in all 12 of her appearances and collecting a goals-against average of 3.30 spread over 1035:00. Hardman has also seen time in goal for the Warriors, with a GAA of 2.73 over 495:00. Hardman has a slight edge in save percentage - .808 to .771 - although she only has six appearances (four starts) on the campaign.

Looking At The Playoff Picture

With five teams (Oklahoma Wesleyan, Friends, McPherson, Avila and Kansas Wesleyan) now guaranteed a spot in the KCAC postseason tournament and four squads (University of Saint Mary, Sterling, Bethel and Bethany) officially eliminated, the battle for the last three playoff berths is heating up.

The Braves are still in control of their own destiny, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker against both Southwestern and York entering decision day. Tabor and Evangel are level with the Braves on 18 points in sixth, with the Bluejays battling the Valor to wrap up the regular season on Oct. 31. Needing a win to move into consideration for the top eight, Southwestern is positioned well as the Moundbuilders host Bethany College in the regular season finale. York is on the outside looking in and facing a severe uphill climb as the Panthers need a win at league-leading Oklahoma Wesleyan along with a handful of other results.

KCAC Players of the Week

After helping Ottawa to a playoff-critical win with two goals against York University on Saturday, Charlotte Gatehouse was named KCAC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 9. It is the first career selection for Gatehouse and the first offensive player of the week since 2018 for the Braves. Leigh-Anne Barlett (Week 1, Week 6) and Samantha Mendoza (Week 7) earned offensive accolades for the 2018 squad with the most recent overall player of the week nod coming in 2025, as Te'a Newcomb earned week 7 honors.

2026 KCAC Players of the Week
Week 9 - Charlotte Gatehouse (Offensive)

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."

Season-long fans may have spotted an additional upgrade at the complex, as the scoreboard in the northwest corner of the field has been refurbished in anticipation of hosting an NAIA National Championship Opening Round in the near future.