3:30 p.m. Friday – Bushnell (4-10) at SOU (8-4-1)
1:30 p.m. Sunday – Corban (11-2) at SOU (8-4-1)
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAMS | TICKETS

ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon women's soccer team could be anywhere from first place to seventh place in the Cascade Conference standings by the end of the weekend. Which is to say, the Raiders are right where they want to be with four games left on the regular season schedule.

SOU (8-4-1 overall, 6-2 CCC) is among a trio of two-loss teams stalking first-place Oregon Tech, which took its only loss against the Raiders. Every point is critical as they enter their final games at Raider Stadium, set for 3:30 p.m. Friday against Bushnell (4-10, 2-7) and 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Corban (11-2, 7-2).

FAN POLICY: All fans 12 and older planning to attend are subject to SOU's vaccination policy, which requires proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative test taken no more than 48 hours prior to entry. Photo ID must be presented for verification. Per state mandate, non-participants will also be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

POLL WATCH: For the first time since 2019, SOU was receiving votes in Wednesday's latest NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll. Oregon Tech was the CCC's lone ranked team at No. 23, College of Idaho also received votes, and the Raiders were No. 35 overall. More importantly, the Raiders moved up to No. 38 in this week's Modified RPI rankings – the final edition of which (released on Nov. 12 when conference tournaments conclude) will determine at-large qualifiers for the 40-team NAIA National Tournament field. The only CCC teams ahead of SOU in the RPI are OIT (19th) and Eastern Oregon (28th), while C of I is down at No. 68.

As always, automatic national tournament bids will go to the CCC regular season champion and the CCC Tournament champion. But when the Raiders advanced to the national playoffs for the first time in 2019, it was thanks to a No. 34 ranking in the final RPI that got them an at-large bid.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW: SOU is coming off an impressive road split against two teams that entered last weekend tied for first place in the standings. The Raiders suffered an excruciating 2-1 loss Friday at College of Idaho, as Larissa Wegner netted the game-winner with 31 seconds left in regulation just two minutes after Malaika Quigley delivered an equalizer. But they made a swift recovery 24 hours later at Eastern Oregon, winning 1-0 as Jordan Bell assisted Mia Santander in the seventh minute and Ashlynn Hernandez secured the shutout with four saves. Before that, the Raiders hadn't defeated or scored a goal against EOU – the CCC preseason favorite – since 2016.

SENIOR DAY SUNDAY: The Raiders will honor nine seniors appearing at home for the last time during halftime of Sunday's 11 a.m. SOU-Corban men's game. Three of them – Trinity Rhoades, Brionna Wood and Emily Williman – stuck around and took advantage of an extra season of eligibility after COVID-19 moved and shortened the 2020-21 campaign. Since their first seasons on the field, the Raiders have gone 32-16-5 in CCC play.

BRIEFLY:

• SOU goalkeepers Ashlynn Hernandez and Jessie Selby are in the middle of a season without precedent in the CCC: they're combining for a .905 save percentage, which is believed to be the best in conference history. It's helped the Raiders outscore opponents 19-7 on the season despite operating at a 74-72 disadvantage in shots on goal. Individually, Selby ranks first (.913) and Hernandez second (.889) on the CCC percentage leaderboard. In terms of goals allowed average, Hernandez is second (0.42) and Selby third (0.65).
• Mia Santander notched her fourth goal of the season and third of the game-winning variety at EOU. She's among just seven Raiders in the last 10 years with that many game-winners and owns the fourth-most in the CCC.
• Baylee Touey has recorded all five of her assists during CCC play. She's tied with Corban's Juliana Pires for the conference lead.
• Sarah Mauk leads the Raiders in points with 10 (4 goals, 2 assists), putting her at No. 12 on the conference leaderboard.
• Since the start of 2016, SOU is 30-5-3 at Raider Stadium.
• Only three other teams in program history have started 6-2 or better in conference play.

ABOUT BUSHNELL: The Beacons have struggled mightily, getting their only CCC wins against Multnomah and by forfeit against Providence. They've been outscored 38-9, and Emily Pruita has accounted for four goals and an assist. Against the Raiders, they're 0-15-2.

ABOUT CORBAN: The Warriors own the CCC's longest winning streak at six straight, having lost only at C of I and EOU. Maria-Frances Serrant, a freshman from Trinidad and Tobago, leads the CCC in points with 12 goals and three assists but had nine of those points in a 14-0 win over Multnomah. Juliana Pires, a junior Brazilian, is another one of the CCC's top attackers with 13 goals and 10 assists over 21 games since debuting in the spring. The Raiders and Warriors split two matchups last spring in Ashland.