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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us September 20, 2005 Looking for stability Raider women’s soccer team battles back-and-forth in conference By Rich Rosenthal Tidings Correspondent Within a span of 24 hours last weekend, Southern Oregon University's women's soccer playoff outlook went from dismal to bright to a shade of gray. And the end-result picture will remain blurry for a few more weeks. Residing in third place in what is an upside-down Cascade Conference south divisional title chase with only two playoff spots available, the Raiders continue a five-game homestand by hosting cellar-dwelling Cascade College Friday afternoon. SOU then meets University of Great Falls (Mont.) for the first time Sunday in a non-conference fray. Southern (1-3 in conference play) and two-time defending champion Corban (1-3), who were the projected playoff squads in the 2005 league preseason poll, are chasing resurgent Warner Pacific (2-1) and Oregon Tech (2-2) in the clogged divisional chase. The first-place finisher will host the No. 2 team from the north division in the conference tournament semifinals on Oct. 26. SOU would clinch its sixth consecutive playoff berth by sweeping OIT and Cascade and toppling either Corban or Warner Pacific on the road. Scoring drought ends, frustration continues Southern Oregon halted a four-game scoreless drought by drowning Corban with five goals last Friday, but the momentum gained from the rousing 5-1 win was doused in a bizarre 2-1 setback to Warner Pacific. The Raiders defeated the Warriors for only the second time in 14 meetings with the perennial conference force, and they handed the Salem school its most lopsided loss in over two seasons. Versatile junior Lindsey Karsten, a marking back making her first career start at center forward, helped Southern end a 425-minute goal drought by banging home SOU's first two goals (in the sixth and 18th minutes) and recording a second-half assist en route to a career-best offensive outing. Sophomore all-star midfielder Kara Bradach assisted the first goal and also scored twice, and freshman midfielder Morgan Spencer notched her first collegiate goalie-beater for the Raiders. But SOU's five-game University Field win streak ended the next day when Warner Pacific dealt the Raiders a 2-1 blow in a contest dominated by the home team. Southern pounded the Knight goal area with 26 shots, and senior Lisa Howard scored her 18th career goal (to tie the game at 1-all in the 70th minute), but Emily Chan converted two tough scoring looks (in the third and 80th minutes) to lead the Portland school to their first-ever win over the Raiders. Cascade, Great Falls sitting on goose eggs Southern Oregon's offensive struggles (until last weekend) pale in comparison to Cascade College's soccer plight. The T-Birds have been outscored 42-0 and outshot 163-14 through their first six games and enter Friday on a league all-sport, all-time-worst 37-game losing skid dating back to a 2-2 tie against SOU in November 2002. CC hasn't scored a goal since last October — a 10-game span. Southern is 6-0-2 all-time against the Thunderbirds, and the Raiders outscored the Portland school by a whopping 46-1 margin in the six wins, including identical 7-nil outcomes last season. The teams played to both ties during the 2002 campaign. Great Falls, a first-year program, is also winless (0-4) and scoreless this season with losses to Rocky Mountain (4-0), MSU-Billings (4-0), Jamestown, N.D. (9-0) and Mayville St., N.D. (3-0). DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams