TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts women's soccer team will begin the 2026 season tomorrow night (Aug. 12) at 7 p.m. when it faces off against Central Arkansas at the Bill Stephens Soccer Complex in Conway, Ark. The Golden Eagles will look to repeat as Summit League Champions after claiming the regular season title in 2025. 

Game 1
Oral Roberts (0-0), (0-0) at Central Arkansas (0-0), (0-0)
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 12 / 7:00 PM
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Live Stats
Location: Bill Stephens Soccer Complex (Conway, Ark)
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
- The Golden Eagles were picked to finish first in the Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll after capturing the regular season title in 2025.
- ORU earned six of the eight first-place votes and finished with 48 points in the poll.
- Junior defender Precious Edosa and redshirt senior forward Brianna Castleberry were selected to the Summit League Preseason Players to Watch list.
 
RELOADING THE ROSTER
- ORU added 13 newcomers for the 2026 season including five transfers and eight freshmen.
- The five transfers include #95 Layney Molini (Texas Tech), #14 Cameron Silva (Alabama), #11 Emerie Campbell (Minot State), #4 Anna Darling (Louisiana), and #01 Sienna Hamilton-Grein (Howard).
- The eight freshmen hail from two countries and four states in the U.S.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- This will be the tenth matchup between the Golden Eagles and the Bears.
- UCA holds a slight edge all-time, going 5-4 against ORU.
- The most recent matchup was a 1-0 UCA win in Conway on Sept. 7, 2023.
- ORU holds a 2-3 all-time record on the road against the Bears. 
 
SEASON OPENERS UNDER RISENHOOVER
- ORU is 1-2-1 in season openers with Head Coach Austin Risenhoover at the helm.
- The Golden Eagles are 0-2-1 when starting the season on the road under Risenhoover.
- Last season, ORU kicked off the season with a 2-0 loss on the road at Kansas State.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION
- UCA will enter Wednesday's match coming off a 6-9-2 record and a 3-5-2 record in ASUN play in 2025.
- The Bears were picked to finish fourth in the United Athletic Conference preseason poll.
- Head Coach Derek Nichols enters his second season at the helm of the Bears.
 
For the latest information on ORU women's soccer, follow @ORUWSoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.