7 p.m. Friday – Providence (MT) at SOU – Live Stream | Live Stats
7:30 p.m. Saturday – Carroll (MT) at SOU – Live Stream | Live Stats

ASHLAND – With one weekend left to iron everything out, the Southern Oregon women's soccer team's unpredictable nature has been right in line with the rest of the Cascade Conference.

The Raiders (8-7 overall, 5-4 CCC) have alternated wins and losses over their last six games, doing their part in contributing to an unclear playoff picture that will come down to the wire. They're locked in a three-way tie for fifth place with two regular-season games to go – 7 p.m. Friday against Providence (6-7, 5-4) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Carroll (7-6-2, 3-4-2) at Raider Stadium – and could still finish anywhere from third place to out of the eight-team CCC Tournament altogether. Adding to the chaos, Carroll won the last two titles and was picked to win a third but enters the weekend in the No. 9 spot.

Playoff Picture: With one win, a Carroll loss, or two non-victories for College of Idaho (4-4-1 CCC), the Raiders would clinch a spot in the CCC Tournament – to be held Nov. 3, 4 and 6 in Springfield – for the eighth year in a row. The tournament champion will be awarded the CCC's second automatic spot in the NAIA Championships; the first bid will go to the regular-season champ, which can only be Eastern Oregon (7-1-1), Rocky Mountain (7-2) or Corban (6-2-1). In the event the regular-season champion also wins the tournament, the tourney runner-up will get the second bid. SOU has never advanced to the NAIA Championships, coming up a point short in the regular season and a win short in the CCC Tournament last year.

Briefly:
– Last Saturday's 1-0 SOU loss at Oregon Tech was its third decided by one goal in four CCC setbacks. Four of SOU's five conference wins have been of the 1-0 variety.
– In CCC play, SOU ranks fifth in shots per game (12.9), sixth in goals (1.2) and eighth in goals allowed (1.3). Five teams are giving up less than a goal per game on average.
– Six different players have scored game-winning goals for the Raiders in eight wins: Yvonne Valencia (2), Mia Volpatti (2), Aislinn Waite, Daisy Cervantes, Brionna Wood and Rachel Henley. All five conference game-winners have been scored by different Raiders.
– Kelsey Randall has four goals this season and 12 in her career, the 10th-most in SOU history.
– Since Jenni Rosenberg took over as head coach in 2013, the Raiders are 13-7-2 in CCC home games with nine shutouts.
– If the Raiders can secure a winning conference record, it'd be their ninth in the last 10 seasons.
– Randall and Jacqueline Laird, both four-year Raiders, will be recognized prior to Saturday's final home game.

About Providence:
– The Argos have notched all five of their CCC wins by one goal, including the last two in overtime. They've been outscored 17-15 by conference foes.
– They're led in points by Eme McLaughlin (7 goals, 2 assists) and Sydney Knieriem (6 goals, 3 assists). Keeper Dakota Neumann has a save average of .706.
– The Raiders are 3-0 all-time against Providence (formerly known as Great Falls) and won the CCC matchups the last two seasons by scores of 2-1 in overtime and 1-0.

About Carroll:
– Following a five-game winless slide, the Saints got back on track last weekend with home wins against Northwest (1-0) and Evergreen (2-0). They've played seven of nine CCC games to this point in Helena.
– Christina Plank, Madison Apsey and Brynn Walker lead the team with three goals apiece. Overall, they've outscored opponents 25-17 and out-shot them 195-126.
– The Raiders are seeking their first-ever win against the Saints, entering the matchup with a 0-6-1 record in the series. Last year Carroll took a 1-0 overtime decision that ultimately decided the CCC title, and in 2015 the Saints knocked SOU out of the CCC Tournament in the semifinal round.