PITTSBURGH, Pa. - On Wednesday, the Cougars will begin their 2026 postseason run. The Cougars entered the 2026 season as the PAC Runners Up, making their first PAC Championship Game in program history. The Cougars entered the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the preseason poll and that is where they ended the regular season. The No. 2 Cougars will take on the No. 3 Saint Vincent Bearcats.

The Cougars went 8-1 during the regular season in conference games. That includes one match up with the Bearcats. The two teams met on April 8th in Latrobe, PA, where the Cougars took a 15-7 hard fought victory. Thomas Whitaker paced the Cougars with six goals while Devin Traister, Luke Iovino and Sean Creeden each scored two. After a tied first quarter, the Cougars dominated the middle quarters outscoring the Bearcats 8-1 in those two quarters. That was headlined by two goals by Whitaker, Iovino and Creeden. Senior goalie James Cippolone made 16 saves in the game, his second highest total of the season behind only the first game of the season. He made 12 saves in the middle quarters as the Cougars exploded the game open, six each in the second and third quarters.

These two teams have met a total of 10 times with the Bearcats having teh series edge with a 6-4 record. That has not been the case of late, as the Cougars have taken the last three match ups including last year's PAC Semifinal match up 10-7. That game was originally scheduled to be played at UPMC Graham Field but after a powerful storm the day before left the field without power, the game was moved to Saint Vincent. In that game there were three current Cougars that scored, Jacob Lubawy scored twice while Whitaker and Gavin Loshnowsky each scored once. The Cougars used a five goal second quarter to get past the Bearcats in that game.



The winner of Wednesday's game will play in the PAC Championship Game on Saturday May 2nd against the winner of the Grove City vs. Westminster game. 

The Cougars and Bearcats will battle for feline supremacy on Wednesday at 7 PM at UPMC Graham Field.