This week the Oregon soccer team will head to Big 12 Conference country to play road games against Oklahoma on Friday night and Oklahoma State on Sunday.
The Ducks (6-2-1) will put their six-game unbeaten streak on the line as they finish the last two games of the non-conference schedule. Head coach Tara Erickson said she likes going on the road, and feels her team is confident and ready.
“Going on the road presents challenges, but playing out of region is helpful,” Erickson said.
Oklahoma (1-9, 0-2 Big 12) has struggled this year; their lone win was over Ball State. The Sooners have lost seven in a row, including their latest effort last Sunday where they coughed up an early lead and eventually lost in double overtime at Texas Tech. The game Friday will be just the second ever meeting between the Ducks and Sooners, with Oregon winning the previous meeting 4-0 in 1996.
On Sunday, the Ducks will have a tough opponent in Oklahoma State. OSU is 9-0-1 (1-0-1 Big 12) and is currently ranked No. 10 in the country. One of the rising stars of women’s soccer, Oklahoma State is coming off of its two best seasons ever including a school record for wins, 17, in 2006. They have outscored their opponents 41-7 this season and already lead the Big 12 in five offensive categories.
Oregon has never faced Oklahoma State.
Nonetheless, Erickson believes her team is ready for the challenge, and the players look forward to proving themselves on the road.
“I haven’t played anyone out there for a while,” Erickson said. “They’ll be physical, and from what I’ve heard they’ve got great athletes.”
The next four road games are a pivotal stretch for the Ducks, and the upcoming games will be a final tune-up before the team begins Pacific-10 Conference play next week. But Erickson said she won’t look at the next four games as a make-or-break stretch for her team.
“The Oklahoma games are separate from the first Pac-10 games because they are two different challenges,” she said. “When we get to Pac-10 play we’ll just take it one game at a time.”
The trip to Oklahoma will give senior midfielder Jessica Goodell a chance to play against her former team. She transferred from Oklahoma after her sophomore season and played in 41 games for the Sooners. Her experience playing the Big 12 game style is something Erickson hopes will come in handy.
“She has offered some things to help us out,” Erickson said.
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