Today's road matchup with the University of San Diego is the quiet before the storm for Arizona soccer (4-4-1) ÷ the prelude to the beginning of Pacific 10 Conference play next weekend.

After coaching for five years at Washington State, head coach Dan Tobias is no stranger to Pac-10 play, but he does not want his team looking past USD.

"(San Diego) has always been a good team and they're very capable," Tobias said. "We're trying to focus on us now, and the Pac-10 when it comes."

Arizona players may seek to settle the score between the two schools and hope to add to USD's (4-2-3) four-game winless streak. Arizona had a four-game unbeaten streak ended last weekend, falling to UNLV, 2-1 at the neutral site of Missoula, Mont. Last Friday, Arizona's game against Montana ended in a 1-1 tie.

"We need to start converting our scoring chances," Tobias said. "We have fought back from behind in almost every game. We just need to start closing games out."

In their only match this weekend, the Wildcats will try to avenge last year's loss. It was Sept. 22, 2002 ÷ the last and only time these teams met ÷ when the Toreros blanked the Wildcats in Tucson, 3-0.

So far this season, San Diego has allowed a total of six goals, three of which came in a 3-1 loss to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. The Toreros have also blanked their opponents five times this season, mainly because of senior goalkeeper Libby Bassett, who boasts a 0.61 goals against average.

The pressure may be on Arizona's Mallory Miller, who leads the team in scoring with four goals and two assists (10 points), along with a team-leading 32 shots.

"Mallory is a playmaker who has a great long shot," said Tobias. "Our younger players have taken advantage of the opportunities they've had. They're doing a great job of understanding chances."

Junior Candice Wilks sat out last week's games in Montana. Wilks, who has nine points this season, along with injured 2002 scoring leader Kelly Nelson, practiced and made the trip to San Diego.

Behind the big "O" is sophomore goalie Natalie Juarez, whose skills have earned her one shutout and a 1.13 goals allowed average in 558 minutes of play this season.

"We're not giving up much on defense, so we need to capitalize on opponent mistakes more," Tobias said. "The margin for error in the Pac-10 is next-to-nothing. The results this year should and can be better."

In his inaugural season as head coach, Tobias's USD counterpart is another first-year coach in Ada Greenwood, whose alma mater is the tiny Dominican College of Marin County, Calif.