Finally, a road game.
Few teams are ever happy about going on the road to play, but the Oregon women’s soccer team couldn’t ask for a better road trip than the one it has scheduled this weekend.
Arizona and Arizona State are two Pacific-10 Conference teams that have traditionally been kind to the Ducks, as Oregon has a combined 4-3-2 record against the desert schools. These are just the sort of opponents that the Ducks want to meet after last weekend’s losses to Stanford and California by a combined margin of 6-1.
Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said this weekend could present an opportunity for the Ducks to score a Pac-10 weekend sweep, which would be their first since they swept the Arizona schools in 1998.
“If we play two halves like the second half against Stanford, we’ll be very successful from here on out,” Steffen said.
Steffen referred to the Ducks’ game Sunday against the Cardinal, when Oregon equaled Stanford in the second half with eight shots. The Ducks pulled close, and went into halftime trailing 2-1, but Stanford added a goal with five minutes left in the match.
Despite the setbacks last weekend, the Ducks are still in good position to make their first-ever NCAA Tournament. A sweep against the Arizona schools this weekend would greatly improve Oregon’s chances.
Both Arizona schools have fallen on bad times this season. Arizona is last in the Pac-10, with a 3-7-1 record. The Wildcats are in the middle of a slump, as they have lost their last six contests by a combined 13 goals.

Arizona State is having slightly more success this season, but not much. The Sun Devils are 6-6-0 this season, but are also in the middle of a losing streak. Arizona State has lost four in a row, and five of the last seven.
For Oregon, the chance to hit the road could be refreshing. The Ducks have played seven straight home games, going 4-3 over that time. After this weekend’s games, Oregon will return home to face UCLA and Southern California, then hit the road again to face Oregon State, Washington and Washington State to end the season.
On the flip side of Oregon’s home games are Arizona’s away games. The Wildcats have played six straight games on the road, while Arizona State has faced four straight road tests.
Last season, the Ducks’ games with the Arizona schools were one of the few highlights of the year. Now-senior Chalise Baysa shattered the Oregon career goals record with three on the weekend and two against the Wildcats. The Ducks were able to beat Arizona 2-0, but lost to Arizona State 2-1.
Oregon will face Arizona at 7 p.m. Friday and Arizona State at 1 p.m. Sunday.