The ASU women's soccer team is back on the road this weekend, facing Oregon tonight and Oregon State on Sunday.
The Sun Devils (8-5-0, 2-0-0 Pac-10) will try to continue their best start in conference play since 2003 by picking up two wins against the Ducks (7-6-0, 0-2-0 Pac-10) and Beavers (7-5-1, 0-2-0 Pac-10).
The Sun Devils are one of only four Pac-10 teams that remain unbeaten after the first weekend of conference play.
However, ASU coach Kevin Boyd said he does not read much into the conference standings after one weekend.
"If we're undefeated at the end of the Pac-10 [season] then I'll be really excited," he said.
But Boyd said it was very important for the Sun Devils to start off strong in Pac-10 play at home against Washington and Washington State.
ASU defeated Washington 3-0 last Friday and then-No. 25 Washington State 1-0 in overtime last Sunday.
Senior forward Courtney Crane said starting the conference season with two wins should also help give the Sun Devils some momentum for the rest of the season.
"It puts you off on a good foot," she said. "If we had lost those games we would have really had to fight for the rest of [year]."
For her effort in the midfield last weekend, sophomore Carly Kallas was named to the Soccer Buzz Magazine Elite Team of the Week.
"It's absolutely justified," Boyd said. "That award is a little late coming. It's not just last weekend. She's been very good for us all year."
The two-game road trip will be the first time the Sun Devils have played away from Sun Devil Soccer Stadium since they played at New Mexico on Sept. 25.
Oregon and OSU will be looking to right the ship after both teams went winless in conference play last weekend.
"I know they're going to be viewing this weekend against the two [Arizona schools] as absolutely critical," he said. "They need a two-win weekend."
After finding the back of the net against Washington, Crane is now tied with freshman forward Karin Volpe for the Sun Devil team lead in goals (4). They are also tied for 10th in the conference.
Defensively, the Sun Devils have only given up seven goals this season and rank second in the Pac-10, while sophomore goalkeeper Briana Silvestri currently ranks second in the conference in shutouts (5) and goals against average (0.55).
Oregon is coming off two losses on the road to USC, 1-0, on Friday and UCLA, 3-0, on Sunday.
ASU is 6-3-2 all-time against Oregon, but lost to the Ducks 1-0 in Tempe last season.
The Sun Devils will then square off with Oregon State on Sunday in Corvallis.
Oregon State also dropped a pair of games last weekend, losing to UCLA, 1-0, Friday and USC, 5-0, on Sunday.
Senior forward Jodie Taylor carries the offensive load for the Beavers as she has scored 12 goals so far this season. No other Beaver has scored more than three goals this season.
The Sun Devils hold a 7-3-0 record against OSU but have not beaten the Beavers since 2003.
Reach the reporter at: gina.mizell@asu.edu
