By
Audrey DeAnda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Wildcats will face 20th ranked Stanford, 8th ranked California
The UA soccer team will try to earn its first Pacific 10 Conference win when it heads to the Bay Area this weekend.
The competition will be tough, though - Arizona will take on No. 20 Stanford tomorrow and eighth-ranked California Sunday.
The Wildcats will head into the weekend with a new-found confidence after leading against fourth-ranked Washington last Sunday for most of the second half before letting the win slip away.
"They were disappointed that we lost, but they were excited that they were able to dominate," UA assistant coach Melissa Estrada said. "I think now they have the understanding and confidence of what it takes to compete."
The Cardinal (8-4-1 overall and 1-2-0 Pac-10) is coming off of a loss to California.
Cardinal freshman midfielder Marcie Ward leads Stanford in scoring with six goals and leads the conference with 11 assists.
Sophomore forward Marcia Wallis is second in scoring with 10 goals and one assist.
Stanford is 5-0-0 against the Wildcats all-time.
In the teams' last meeting, Stanford beat Arizona 5-2 at UA's Murphey Stadium.
Estrada said she hasn't been surprised about anything the Wildcats have faced so far in the Pac-10 except the level of physicality of all the players - which Arizona has had to develop.
"In the beginning of the season, we were way behind but now we can hang," Estrada said.
Arizona will need to be physically tough as they take on the Golden Bears, Sunday. California is 12-1-1 overall and 2-1-0 in conference play.
California's only loss of the season was against Washington, where the Golden Bears fell 2-1 in Seattle.
Cal sophomore forward Laura Schott's 18 goals on the season put her atop the Golden Bears scoring list and also makes her the top scorer in the Pac-10.
The Golden Bears lead the series 5-0-0 against the Wildcats, having shut them out 3-0 in their last meeting.
Despite the past history against the Bay Area teams, UA junior forward Kristi Lorona said the team is ready to take on the tough competition.
"I feel prepared," Lorona said. "Our practices are so brutal, conditioning-wise we're in the best shape. It's just a matter of using our heads and thinking when we're out there.
"We have all the tools, and we know how to win; it's just a matter of taking what we've learned in practice into the games."
Though Arizona is winless so far in conference play, UA junior goalkeeper Shannon Monti said the team gets something out of every game, even if it is a loss.
"We look for the good things that are happening. If that didn't work, why and how can we make it work," Monti said. "It's like puzzle pieces and it's starting to come together, slowly but surely."
