12 p.m. PT Friday – SOU at Rocky Mountain – Live Stream
1 p.m. PT Sunday – SOU at The College of Idaho – Live Stream/Stats

ASHLAND – Southern Oregon men's soccer coach Biniam Afenegus knew the risks associated with a non-conference schedule that included no gimmes and was to be played entirely on the road.

The worst-case scenario that played out in front of him over the last few weeks will make no one happier than the Raiders (0-5) to usher in Cascade Conference play and wipe the slate clean. Picked to finish fourth in the circuit, they'll attempt to make another run at a title despite the slow start, kicking off the slate on the road with ninth-ranked Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (3-0) on Friday and College of Idaho (3-1) on Sunday.

Briefly:
– The Raiders have been outscored 11-1, but the peripheral statistics aren't as damning as one might assume. They're only averaging one fewer shot per game than their opponents – 13 to 12 – and have been out-shot twice. In shots on goal, the Raiders have generated 25 to opponents' 33; last year, SOU scored on average once per every 2.9 shots on goal.
– One issue identifiable through box scores is who, in particular, has been kept quiet: Brendan Allen, the Raiders' leading goal-scorer in 2015, and Carlos Magana, their leading scorer in 2016, have combined for just eight shots and two on goal. Sean McManamon, an all-conference selection last year, has recorded 10 SOG; no one else has more than three.
– On a positive note, Magana was also a relatively slow starter last year: Nine of his 10 goals were tallied in conference play, resulting in a CCC Newcomer of the Year award.
– The Raiders went 6-0 on the road in CCC action during the 2016 season, outscoring foes 22-2 (including an 11-0 win at Walla Walla).

About Rocky:
– The Bears were co-champions in the CCC with Corban in 2016 and were picked to finish second, behind Corban, in the preseason poll. They've qualified for the national tournament five years in a row.
– Since joining as an associate member in 2015, they've gone 21-2-3 in CCC play.
– Sophomore Chasen Lasure (3 goals), a sophomore from Redondo Beach, Calif., and Marco Kummerle (2 goals, 3 assists), a freshman from Germany, lead the team in points. The Bears have defeated University of Mary (3-0), Menlo (4-1) and William Jessup (6-0).
– Rocky won its first two meetings with SOU – 3-2 in Billings in 2015, and 2-1 in Ashland last year.

About C of I:
– The Yotes, hoping for their first winning CCC season since 2010, got off to a promising start in nonleague play, but the combined records of the three opponents they defeated is 1-11. They were picked 10th in the CCC preseason poll.
– Junior forward Carter Perry has scored seven of the team's 13 goals. The Yote goalkeepers, meanwhile, have allowed seven goals and made 13 saves.
– SOU won last year's matchup in Ashland, 4-1, behind a pair of Paul Matyas goals and three Kelly Gieber assists. C of I won the inaugural meeting in 2015 in Caldwell, 4-0, which marked SOU's first-ever conference game.