The No. 25 Oregon women’s soccer team begins Pacific-10 conference play this weekend as they host No. 19 California tonight and No. 1 Stanford on Sunday.
The Ducks (8-2-1) are coming off a big 1-0 win in double overtime last weekend at Weber State University, and they will try to keep their preseason momentum rolling as they battle their way through the Pac-10.
 
Cal (6-3-1) demolished the Ducks last season with a 5-1 victory in Berkeley, Calif., as then-sophomore Alex Morgan led the way for the Bears with a hat trick.
 
So far this season, Morgan has recorded eight goals, three assists, 19 points and 31 shots on goal through the first 10 games.
 
Cal has primarily been a second half team, as they’ve outscored their opponents 12-6, while Oregon has generally shown up early, outscoring its opponents 9-3 in the first half.
 
Sunday’s matchup with the top-ranked Stanford Cardinal will undoubtedly be the toughest test of the season thus far for the Ducks.
 
Stanford features one of the nation’s top players in senior forward Kelley O’Hara, who has recorded 12 goals, six assists, and 30 points so far in 2009. She has twice been named to the second-team All-American and has led the Cardinal to an 11-0 record this season. But she has had plenty of help from junior forward Christen Press.
 
Press enters the weekend with 10 goals, 10 assists and 30 points on 63 shots.
 
Both teams will match up with the Oregon State Beavers this weekend as well, with Stanford stopping in Corvallis on Friday and Cal stopping in on Sunday.
 
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight at Pape Field, while Sunday’s contest begins at 1 p.m.
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