After managing their road sweep over Washington and Oregon State last weekend, the Stanford men’s soccer team returns home this week for rematches against both squads.

Enlarge
#gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/6311
Alvin Chow

Kyle Hency / RS Junior / Midfelder/Defender / 9.24.06 game vs UCLA

The Cardinal (5-4-3, 3-0-1 Pac-10) have won six of their last seven games, and coach Bret Simon said the team is excited heading into the weekend.

“I expect the matches to be close and competitive,” Simon said. “There is always an interesting dynamic when you play a team twice in such a tight time frame. We’ll have to be at our best to get results against Washington and Oregon State, who are both talented and well-coached teams.”

The Cardinal will first encounter the Huskies (8-4,1-4 Pac-10) in what many consider Stanford’s most important game of the season.

Washington missed their star offensive player Kevin Forrest in Stanford’s 2-0 win on Oct. 6, and the Huskies will try to earn their way back into the national rankings with help from a televised game at Maloney Field.

Forrest, who leads the Huskies with 10 goals on the season, may be cleared to play in the Stanford rematch after missing the last two games with a knee injury. Regardless of Forrest’s role on Friday, however, Simon said he hopes the Cardinal will remain focused on their own performances.

“Ultimately, we can’t control who lines up opposite us,” Simon said. “So we’ll prepare to play our best no matter who our opponents put on the field.”

Pac-10 play will continue with the Beavers’ visit to Stanford on Sunday at noon. Oregon State (5-7-1, 0-5 Pac-10) will try to repeat its 2005 victory at Maloney, where they captured a 3-1 decision. Senior forward Robbie Findley leads the Beavers offensively with five goals, though he has not scored in the past five games.

Senior Bret Shimizu, who scored in Stanford’s 2-0 win against Oregon State on Oct. 8, recognizes that other factors will also contribute to the Cardinal’s success this weekend. He notes the importance of playing at home in tough competitions.

“There is a huge advantage playing at home,” Shimizu said. “The home crowd is a big factor. I think after the San Diego State game [a 2-1 win with 1,784 fans in attendance], we’ll get a good crowd, and that will help us get amped for the game. It boosts our confidence to play in front of friends and family.”

With momentum in Stanford’s favor, wins this weekend might help to propel the Cardinal in the coming weeks’ games against UCLA and California — the teams closest to dethroning Stanford’s lead position in the Pac-10. The men will rely on their training, concentration and recent wins as they strive for victory on the pitch once more.

“Neither game will be an easy win,” Shimizu said. “We will have to play at our best to come out with two victories again. Both teams will definitely come out with great intensity, and we will have to counter with more [intensity].”