With the regular season now complete, SWOSU Soccer turns its attention to the 2026 Great American Conference Tournament, which is set to begin Friday, November 6, in Searcy, Arkansas. 

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 8-3-7 overall record and a 6-2-4 mark in GAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the tournament. They will face second-seeded Ouachita Baptist in Friday's semifinal matchup. 

SWOSU has won a GAC-record five conference championships, with its most recent title coming in 2022 when the Bulldogs captured the trophy in Weatherford. Since joining the conference in 2011, SWOSU has missed the tournament just twice, in 2014 and 2024. 

The Bulldogs own an all-time GAC Tournament record of 13-7-2, the most wins and highest winning percentage of any program in the conference. Both ties came during the 2016 tournament, when SWOSU advanced past Southern Nazarene in the semifinals following a penalty-kick shootout before falling to Harding in the championship match by the same method. 

The Dawgs are 1-2 all-time when entering the GAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed. In 2015, SWOSU earned the third seed and upset No. 2 Ouachita Baptist before falling to host Harding, 5-3, in the championship match. During the spring 2021 season, when all conference teams competed in the tournament, the Bulldogs again entered as the No. 3 seed but fell to Southern Nazarene, 3-2, in double overtime. 

SWOSU and Ouachita Baptist have met several times in postseason play, including last season when the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 before falling to Harding in the championship match. The two programs have met five times in GAC Tournament history, with SWOSU holding a 3-2 advantage. One of those victories came in 2012, when the Bulldogs defeated Ouachita Baptist 2-1 to capture the first GAC Tournament championship in program history. 

This season, neither team was able to gain an advantage in the regular-season series, with both meetings ending in 1-1 draws in Arkadelphia and Weatherford. That marks four consecutive draws between the two programs over the last two seasons. 

The Bulldogs have been led offensively by Braelee Epp and first-year player Kinsey Geasland, who have combined for 18 goals, with nine apiece, to lead the conference by three goals. Geasland holds a slight edge in assists, 4-3, while Epp and Geasland have totaled 22 and 21 points, respectively. Both marks lead the conference, with the next-highest total sitting at 14 points. Epp is also tied for the conference lead with four game-winning goals. 

Last year's Newcomer of the Year, Saoirse Hourigan, has also been a key offensive weapon for the Bulldogs, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses. Despite scoring just two goals this season, she leads the conference with an average of 4.54 shots per game. Her 26 shots on goal rank just behind teammate Geasland for the most in the conference. Hourigan has also recorded six assists, the second-most in the league, bringing her season point total to 10. 

The Bulldogs have utilized two goalkeepers throughout the season, with Emma Young appearing in 11 games and Lelu Lamb appearing in nine. Young, who has started all 11 of her appearances, holds a 6-1-4 record with four shutouts and 34 saves. Lamb has posted a 2-2-3 record, recording two complete-game shutouts and 31 saves. 

As a team, SWOSU has scored 31 goals while allowing just 15, giving the Bulldogs a +0.89 scoring margin, the best in the conference. Harding ranks second with a +0.42 margin. During GAC play, SWOSU has allowed multiple goals in a game just once, against Southern Nazarene in the second conference game of the season. Since then, the Bulldogs have surrendered just five goals over their last 10 games. They also enter the tournament riding a seven-game unbeaten streak, consisting of four wins and three draws. 

Nine different Bulldogs have found the back of the net this season, with seven recording multiple goals. 

Elise LaForge, Philippine de Sancy and Emma Young are all coming off All-GAC seasons. LaForge earned Second Team All-GAC honors, while de Sancy and Young were both named Honorable Mention All-GAC, helping anchor the Bulldogs' back line. 

Should SWOSU advance, they would face the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded Harding and fourth-seeded Southern Nazarene. The GAC Championship match is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. 

Both semifinal matchups will be streamed live and free of charge by Harding, with live stats also available for both contests. Sunday's championship match will be broadcast on the GAC Sports Network and will also be free to watch. 

The winner of the GAC Tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. 

The Field 

(1) Harding | 9-5-3 overall | 8-2-2 GAC 

• SWOSU is 24-13-6 all time against the Bisons 

• Harding took the series 1-0-1 during the regular season series in 2026 

• 1-0 loss in Searcy on 10/3 

• 0-0 tie in Weatherford on 10/22 

(2) Ouachita Baptist | 7-6-5 overall | 7-2-3 GAC 

• SWOSU is 20-11-9 all time against the Tigers 

• The two teams tied in each game during the regular season series in 2026 

• 1-1 tie in Arkadelphia on 10/1 

• 1-1 tie in Weatherford on 10/24 

(4) Southern Nazarene | 7-8-1 overall | 6-5-1 GAC 

• SWOSU is 24-13-2 all time against the Crimson Storm 

• The two teams split the regular season series in 2026 

• 2-1 loss in Bethany on 9/19 

• 3-1 victory in Weatherford on 10/7 

2026 GAC Women's Soccer Championships Schedule 
 
Friday, November 6 
Semifinal #1: 11:00 a.m. - No. 1 Harding vs. No. 4 Southern Nazarene 
Semifinal #2: 2:00 p.m. - No. 2 Ouachita Baptist vs. No. 3 Southwestern Oklahoma State 
 
Sunday, November 8 
Final: 1:00 p.m. - Winner of Semifinal #1 vs Winner of Semifinal #2