PITTSBURGH, Pa. - On Thursday, 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 W&J Presidents.

The Cougars went 8-1 during the regular season in conference games. That includes one match up with the Presidents. The Cougars and Presidents met on March 28th in Washington, Pa. In that game the Cougars used a 6-1 third quarter to win 13-10. Natalie Ondo scored four goals for the Cougars while Bella Walski-Rodriguez added three goals of her own. Six other Cougars added a goal a piece. The Cougars and Presidents also met in the 2025 PAC Semifinals. That game was played at W&J, and the Cougars squeezed out the narrowest of one goal games. That game included two goals with less than two seconds left in the quarter, both by the Cougars including the game winner with just under two seconds to play.

This will be the 11th meeting all time between the Cougars and Presidents. The Presidents lead the all-time series with a record of 8-2. The Cougars have taken each of the last two meetings, but have never beaten the Presidents at home. The Cougars are looking to change that and get back to the PAC Championship Game for the second season in a row.

The Cougars and Presidents will clash on the field with a spot in the Championship Game at 7 PM on Thursday April 30th.