Beavers Head to Bay Area for Pair of Matches

The Kick Off: The Oregon State women’s soccer team heads down to the Bay Area for a pair of Pac-12 matches this week, as the Beavers take on California and No. 4 Stanford. Oregon State will go head-to-head with the Golden Bears Friday at 2 p.m., before facing the Cardinal at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Follow Along: Sunday’s game will be carried live on Pac-12 Networks. Live stats will be available for both matches, and can be accessed through the OSU women’s soccer schedule page. Twitter updates for all Oregon State games this season can be found @OSU_WSoccer.

Go Geist: Freshman goalkeeper Bella Geist is already making her way into the Oregon State record books with 103 saves this season. The Milwaukee, Ore. native set the OSU freshman record against Washington two weekes ago, and is currently sixth on the Beavers’ all-time single-season saves list. Geist sits 25 saves short of the school record with three games to play.

Stiver Delivers: Freshman Miranda Stiver scored her first career goal on Sunday, giving the Beavers a 1-0 lead early in the second half. Stiver’s goal came on just her fourth shot at the college level, and just her second effort on target. The Newport Beach, Calif. native has played in all 17 of Oregon State’s matches this season, and has made 11 starts.

Scouting the Opponents: California has a 14-4-2 record this season, including a 3-3-2 mark in Pac-12 play. The Golden Bears are coming off a 1-0 win over No. 25 Arizona State last Friday in Tempe and a tie against Arizona on Sunday in Tucson. Taylor Comeau is fifth in the Pac-12 with 21 points on eight goals and five assists. Grace Leer has 12 points on five goals and two assists, while Kelly Fitzgerald has matched her tally this year with five goals.  Emily Boyd has started 16 matches in goal, allowing less than one goal per game.

No. 4 Stanford is 14-1-2 this season, with its only loss coming to No. 1 UCLA. The Cardinal is coming off back-to-back road wins over Arizona and Arizona State. Chioma Ubogagu paces the Stanford attack with six goals and six assists this season. Ryan Walker-Hartshorn has scored eight goals this year, while Lo’eau LaBonta has scored seven. Jane Campbell has started all 17 matches for the Cardinal in goal, allowing just six goals.

Last Time Out: The Beavers battled hard against No. 1 UCLA on Friday, playing the Bruins even in the first half. UCLA ultimately broke through in the final 45 minutes to take the 3-0 victory. Sunday’s match against USC saw the Beavers take a lead early in the second half, when freshman Miranda Stiver found the net. Oregon State was unable to hold on for the final 40 minutes, however, as the Ladies of Troy took the 2-1 victory.

Head coach Linus Rhode on the performance vs. UCLA:
“I think we defended very well overall. I think we held them to a low number of quality chances, and I think that was the goal. We were really strong defensively from front to back, so that’s something to be happy about. In the first half I think we created some good offense as well....We will bounce back from this. These girls have been awesome all year. They’ll put this game behind us and refocus for Sunday. This team has tremendous character. This is the best group I’ve ever worked with in terms of the way they go about their business and show up to work every day.”

Head coach Linus Rhode on the performance vs. USC:
“We were a bit unlucky. I thought the girls played pretty well today, and we fought hard. USC is a very good, very talented team and I’m sure they will do good things this year. I think our players walk away from today feeling good about their performance.”

Faris Wheel: Freshman Nikki Faris leads the Beavers with 25 shots this season, eight of which have been on goal. The San Clemente, Calif. native has started all 17 of Oregon State’s games at forward, after setting the San Clemente High School single season record with 25 goals. Faris has created a number of good scoring opportunities in the last four matches.

Say Hello...: A number of Beaver players have made their debut in the Orange and Black this season. Twelve true freshmen have seen the field in the 2014 campaign, with eight of them making at least one start. Nikki Faris and Natalie Higgins have all started each of the Beavers’ 17 games this season as true freshmen.

Can’t Beat Bieck: If there is one thing you can count on when it comes to Oregon State soccer, it’s that you will find Gwen Bieck in the starting lineup every week. The Duvall, Wash., native has started 43 consecutive matches for the Beavers,  in a streak that began against Colorado on Oct. 13, 2012. She has played in 56 of the 57 games the Beavers have played since she joined the program. Bieck has been named a team-captain for the 2014 season, and has taken over an expanded role as a leader on the team.  

Govig or Go Home: Sophomore Annie Govig will help lock down an experienced core of Beaver defenders. The Sherwood, Ore., native played primarily at outside back last season, playing 18 matches and starting 13 games, and has continued that trend to begin this season, starting all 17 of Oregon State’s matches this year. Govig recorded her first career assist on Aug. 31, whipping a cross into the box that ultimately found the head of Kayla Latham.

Baker’s Field: Sophomore Kathryn Baker has started all 37 games the Beavers have played since she joined the team last season. The underclassman from Vancouver, B.C. was a Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention last season for her efforts at centerback.

Latham On the Mark: Freshman Kayla Latham scored her first career goal on Aug. 31, hammering home a header in the 58th minute to level the score. The midfielder has played in all 17 games this season, making seven starts. He late header off the post nearly gave the Beavers a victory over Potland on Sept. 19.

Youth Movement: The 2014 Oregon State roster includes just four upperclassmen, compared to 20 underclassmen including 13 freshmen. The Beavers lost a number of outstanding seniors at the end of the 2013 season, as nine players graduated. Despite the departures, Oregon State’s returners come in with solid experience. Junior Gwen Bieck will step in as team captain, and will be expected to lead the team on and off the field. She will be joined by sophomore Kathryn Baker, who was a stalwart on the Beaver back line in the 2013 campaign.

It Ain’t Easy: The Oregon State women’s soccer schedule features four games against teams ranked in the NSCAA’s top-25, and nine games against teams that made the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The difficult schedule is headlined by a visit from defending national champion No. 1 UCLA at Paul Lorenz Field on Oct. 24. The Beavers will follow that up by taking on No. 6 Stanford in Northern California just over a week later on Nov. 2.

Get the (Pac-12) Net: The Beavers will have seven games televised on Pac-12 Networks this season. Oregon State made its 2014 television debut on Aug. 31, when it hosts St. Mary’s. The Orange and Black will then make back-to-back appearances on the screen when it faces Washington State at Paul Lorenz Field on Sept. 26, before taking on Arizona in Tucson on Oct. 3. After hosting its final home television contest of the season on Oct. 10 (vs. Colorado), the Beavers will close out their 2014 Pac-12 Networks slate with road games at Washington (Oct. 20), Stanford (Nov. 2) and Oregon (Nov. 7).