HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll College women's soccer team opens Cascade Conference with a trip to Oregon's Willamette Valley to face Northwest Christian Friday and Corban Saturday.
 
The Saints are 3-3 on the season but won two straight and three of the last four games as they prepare for Cascade Conference play.
 
All three wins for the Saints were shutouts. Payton Netz leads the Saints with three goals and Michaela Kueffler has two on the season.
 
The pair of games comes at the end of a two-day bus trip and head coach David Thorvilson hopes his team is prepared to take on the Beacons and get back into the form that led the Saints to the Cascade Conference crown.
 
"We have 11 games in conference and this is our longest road trip," Thorvilson said. "We hope to still have legs and bring back the edge that we had last year. These are two very good teams and we will need to bring our best come out 2-0."
 
NCU went 2-9 a season ago and fell to Carroll 2-0 in Helena. This season, they are 3-4, including losses in four of the last five games.
 
Emily Miller leads the Beacons with five goals and an assist on the season.
 
"Northwest Christian is a very difficult opponent with a physical type of play," Thorvilson said. "If they can hang around in games they will wear some teams down. We are hoping to start fast and be ready to go, despite the tough travel."
 
Corban is 4-3 on the season and under is under the guidance of first-year head coach Likius Hafani who replaced long-time head man Marty Ziesemer. The Warriors are 3-1 over the last four games.
 
"They're former coach had been there 20 years. They are going to utilize a different system and formation," Thorvilson said. "We will have to learn in a hurry what the strengths and weaknesses of the new coach will be."
 
The Saints will continue to lean on their defense but hope to improve on the offensive third of the field.
 
"Over the years ours strength has been our defense and we hope that continues," Thorvilson said. "We need to score goals to win game and I think we have taken steps on that side of the ball to make some strides."
 
The Saints take on Northwest Christian at 5 p.m. MDT Friday before facing Corban at 5 p.m. MDT Saturday. Live stats and video for both games will be available via the Cascade Conference Stretch Internet Portal.