After a promising preseason start, the Oregon State men?s soccer team is heading into their first conference game against the University of Washington with confidence.
?Any time things are going well, it is easier to play,? said senior captain Chris Harms. ?I think we are confident and think we can beat anybody.?
OSU (5-2-1) takes on the Huskies (5-3-1) Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Seattle. It will be their first of three road games to open up Pac-12 play. While the Beavers are 4-0-0 at home, their road record of 1-2-1 is subpar.
Preparation for the first conference game against the Huskies was business as usual for the Beavers as they took the field for practice on Wednesday, after a day of rest following the Hensor/Zaher Nike Classic last weekend.
?I think it starts with our practice this week,? Harms said. ?I think we need to focus . . . and try and hit our standards at practice every day.?
?I think this week at training will really set the tone for [conference play],? said senior forward Emery Welshman, who was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. ?We are going to hit the ground running right now and hopefully we can carry on our momentum into this weekend.?
The team is coming off a three-game winning streak and is hoping to maintain that standard of excellence now that they begin to take on Pac-12 opponents.
Start of conference play means new challenges for the players on and off the pitch as well. With this being the first week of classes for students, the challenge of balancing school and sports begins. The upperclassmen expressed confidence in their team and their ability to get the job done.
?I think the first day of class is not that hard so it shouldn?t affect us that much, and if it does then we have a problem,? said Harms. ?I think we will be fine this week.?
The on-field product will have its own challenges for the Beavers against Washington. Oregon State can expect a good physical match from the Huskies. Washington also has a long throw-in tactic that the Beavers will need to be prepared for. ?They do have a kid who can do a flip throw, or who can throw the ball in from forty yards away into the goal box,? said Harms. ?So pretty much anytime the ball goes out of bounds we have to come alive and be ready to win the ball in the air.?
All things considered, the team is looking at the first conference game the same way as any other. Nerves may be running high on game day as the Beavers open the Pac-12 conference play, but the players know the job they face for Sunday?s game.
?I don?t think nerves are an issue at all,? said freshman Mikhail Doholis, ?We just need to go in there with the appropriate approach, and the right mentality, and we can get business done.?
Oregon State has already matched its win total of five from a year ago. The Beavers finished with a 3-6-1 record in the Pac-12, a number they undoubtedly want to improve on.
Sarah Kerrigan, sports reporter
On Twitter @skerrigan123
Source: http://www.dailybarometer.com/beavers-begin-conference-play-at-washington-1.2914339
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