Oakland University women’s soccer is hoping to make a jump this fall similar to the one it made last season.

The Golden Grizzlies were improved from a 2024 campaign in which they finished 3-14-2 overall and last place in the conference (2-8). It didn’t show in the win column, but they pulled out a result in many more matches, going 2-2-6 in the conference in 4-8-8 altogether.

That sixth-place finish, which included going unbeaten at home in the league, translated into an overtime victory against Youngstown State, giving the program its first appearance in the Horizon League tournament semifinals since 2021.

Oakland was picked to finish fifth out of 12 in the Horizon League preseason poll, released on Monday. Milwaukee took the No. 1 spot with 142 points, followed by Northern Kentucky (119), Youngstown State (103), Green Bay (102), then the Golden Grizzlies (93).

It’s the highest preseason ranking under head coach Devin Zvosec, who enters his third year for a program that seeks its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.

They’ll expect to lean on several local products yet again. Brooke Blackstock was all-state at Lake Orion and helped the Dragons win a league title as well as two district championships. She made an immediate impact at Oakland, appearing in 19 matches with 13 starts as a freshman, and scored her first collegiate goal in a 3-1 victory over Youngstown State. Blackstock logged minutes in all 20 of Oakland’s matches in 2025 and started 18 of them, including a 99-minute shift in that aforementioned Horizon League quarterfinal win.

Also among the Golden Grizzlies’ defenders is Sophia Benavides, a third-team all-state selection for Rochester Adams in 2024. Benavides is looking to expand upon her freshman season last year that included six appearances and a start against St. Bonaventure.

Those two are among the dozen returning Oakland players who made at least one start season, as well as Brae Cole and Mallory Anderson, who accounted for a combined 10 goals.

The Golden Grizzlies kick off the season Thursday evening at Mercyhurst, part of a seven-game run of non-conference matches to start the year that includes home games against Bowling Green (Aug. 20), Toledo (Aug. 27) and Rochester Christian (Sept. 6). Oakland begins its Horizon League slate with Cleveland State on Sept. 10.