LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University women's soccer team will step onto the national stage this week as they kick off their run in the NAIA Championships on Thursday. The Mountaineers are headed to Marion, Indiana, where this year's expanded women's field includes 40 teams. Opening-round matches are slated for Thursday, Nov. 20, with second-round play following on Saturday, Nov. 22. The winners from each regional pod will move on to finals week beginning Dec. 1, leading up to the national title match on Dec. 8.

The Mountaineer women secured their national berth after finishing as Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament runner-up. With regular-season champions College of Idaho having already earned the automatic bid, EOU secured the second CCC berth based on its tournament finish.

EOU will begin its national run in the Hoosier state of Indiana, taking on Oakland City in a neutral-site contest hosted by Indiana Wesleyan. Kickoff is set for Thursday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. ET. With a win, the Mountaineers would advance to Saturday's second-round matchup at 1 p.m. ET.

Eastern Oregon enters the tournament at 14-5-2. Oakland City carries a 15-5 record into the opening round after winning the River States Conference Tournament, while Indiana Wesleyan stands at 14-3-1 after earning an at-large berth.
The Cascade Conference will be strongly represented in both brackets. On the women's side, College of Idaho and Southern Oregon join Eastern Oregon in the national field. On the men's side, Rocky Mountain, Warner Pacific, and Carroll also earned championship berths.

The full women's first- and second-round bracket, schedule, and results can be found on the NAIA website. Live streaming for the women's opening site is available through Indiana Wesleyan's Team1Sports portal, with each game costing $10.