As Pac-10 play picks up, the Stanford men’s soccer squad is eying both the conference title and a berth in the NCAA College Cup. The Cardinal will face its first test this weekend in a pair of key home conference matches.

Stanford (3-2-3) first battles Oregon State on Friday at 5 p.m. The Beavers (3-5-0) arrive at Stanford having just ended a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Loyola (Md.). Oregon State is led offensively by senior Nick Webb, with a team-high two goals this season. Meanwhile, the Beavers entrust their net to junior goalie Packy Deeniha, who has posted two shutouts on the season.

Last year, the Cardinal won both games 2-0, and the team is optimistic about this year’s match-up, especially due to the weeklong break it has enjoyed since the 0-0 tie with College of Charleston on Sept. 28.

Senior forward Dan Shapiro hopes that the chance to recuperate will help Stanford remain focused and energized during its upcoming matches.

“We have [had] plenty of time to rest for the beginning of the Pac-10 season,” Shapiro said. “We need to win some games in the Pac-10, but that should come naturally if we play with the same intensity and composure that we’ve shown over the last few games.”

However, that little extra time off did not convince Coach Bret Simon to deviate from his usual training strategies.

“Our preparation for this week’s games hasn’t been different than for other opponents,” Simon said. “The exception is that [in conference] we all know each other a little better. So we can prepare with a little more certainty regarding the opposition.”

This certainty will be especially important during the Card’s meeting with Washington at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Huskies (5-3-1) spent much of the season among the ranks of the nation’s Top 25 teams before dropping out this week after an overtime loss at No. 13 Creighton on Saturday.

With a strong attack led by Kevin Forrest’s six goals, Washington sits atop the Pac-10 in goals and goals per game, with 13 goals in their first nine contests. Not to be overlooked is the Huskies’ defense, which has recorded a conference-leading five shutouts in those matches.

Simon, though, noted Stanford’s ability to shut down a similarly dominant forward in Charleston’s Kareem Yearwood.

“I was particularly pleased that we were able to limit the number of opportunities that Yearwood was able to get,” Simon commented. “He’s a great talent, and it took real attention to defensive detail by the entire defensive unit. That’s a very important building block as we go forward [against Forrest and other opponents].”

However, coach and team alike feel that the most important thing for this weekend and the remainder of the season is to focus on Stanford’s own strengths.

“At the end of the day the best way to prepare is to have your game in order,” Simon said. “I think we have played quite well over the first half of the season. We have played confidently, and I think we are in a good place to accelerate forward during the Pac-10 conference play.”