ASHLAND – Fresh off a pair of road victories over the weekend, the Southern Oregon soccer team hits the road for two more matches this week, facing Simpson Thursday afternoon in Redding before traveling to Portland for a neutral-site matchup with No. 18 Concordia (Calif.) on Sunday.

Southern Oregon, 3-0-1 overall this season, picked up 64 points in the first regular season NAIA on Tuesday. The point total places the Raiders three spots out of the top 25, with the 28th-place spot the highest in program history. Stephanie Carr (Upland, Calif./Upland) scored three goals over the weekend as SOU knocked off Fresno Pacific 2-1 on Saturday and defeated Holy Names 5-2 on Monday.

“It was a positive trip,” SOU head coach Jon Clement said. “Getting two victories on the road is never easy, so it's a testament to our team and our hard work so far.”

The Raiders came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Fresno, with Carr tying it up in the second period and scoring the game-winner in overtime. On Monday, SOU scored four goals in the second half to pull away from Holy Names.

“We showed a lot of fortitude by coming back when we were down one-nil in the second half to score two stunning goals to win it,” Clement said. “Then we were very efficient against Holy Names on Monday. It took us awhile to get going, but by the second half we were stroking the ball around really cleanly and scoring some nice goals.”

Along with the national recognition as the Raiders approach the top 25, SOU has also set a new program mark with its early-season record. The Raiders' 3-0-1 record is the best four-match start in team history. Clement's team will look to extend the strong start with two more road matches, beginning Thursday at 2 p.m. against Simpson.

Simpson has dropped its first two matches to San Diego Christian and Northwest Christian, and the Red Hawks host Oregon Tech Wednesday night before Thursday's afternoon match against the Raiders. Nicole Goens scored Simpson's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to SDC, and Northwest Christian defeated the Red Hawks 4-0 on Sept. 1. The Raiders are 4-1 all-time against Simpson, including wins in each of the past two years as SOU outscored the Red Hawks 7-0 in those two matches.

“We anticipate a difficult game there,” Clement said of Thursday's match.

Sunday's match against Concordia (Calif.) should mark the Raiders' toughest contest of the season to this point. The Eagles, 2-1 in 2012, are ranked 18th in the latest NAIA poll and have outscored opponents 7-3 overall this season while out-shooting opponents 50-17. They will face No. 2Concordia (Ore.) Friday night in Portland before taking on SOU in Sunday afternoon's neutral-site match.

The Raiders have faced Concordia (Calif.) four times, squaring off against the Eagles in each of the past four seasons. Southern Oregon is 0-4 against Concordia, including a close 1-0 loss in California last season.

“We had a great game with Irvine last year, so we're really looking forward to that one,” Clement said.

Carr leads the team with five goals through four matches this season, bringing her within four of the SOU career record of 32. Stacy Hamer (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) has added three goals and an assist for the Raiders, while Julie Zamzow (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly) has a pair of assists. Kelsey Clement (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor) and Katelyn Allen (Citrus Heights, Calif./El Camino Fundamental) have split time at goalkeeper for the Raiders, as SOU has outscored its opponents 12-5 this season.