EUGENE, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University women's soccer team was looking for a little more from their recent road trip to Montana. A pair of shutout losses was not what they had in mind. The true outcome, however, was found somewhere other than the loss column as the Beacons were able to take a step back and look at where they are at, heading into the impending Cascade Collegiate Conference schedule beginning late next week.

The trip opened on Friday afternoon with a 2-0 loss to the University of Great Falls. A classic defensive battle was played out over the initial 45-minutes, with the teams taking a 0-0 draw into the intermission. The host Argos were able to break through twice in the second half. The first strike came off a penalty kick by Jenell Jackson, after a Beacon defender took her down inside the keeper's zone. Ashley Pezel would later add the insurance on an unassisted tally.

Saturday brought perhaps the toughest competition that NCU has ever faced, as they traveled from Great Falls, Montana to Helena to take on Carroll College, the defending National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Champions. The Fighting Saints, currently ranked #6 in the NAIA, had little trouble with the Beacons in their home debut as seven different players scored in the 9-0 outcome.

The Beacons, playing their fifth consecutive contest away from Eugene, showed the signs of fatigue after the grueling preseason schedule, but did manage to find eight shots on goal, including two apiece from Desiree Berry and Donn Almeida.

If nothing else, Northwest Christian should be well prepared for the beginning of the CCC schedule, which commences on September 18th on the road at Corban College. The team now has time to regroup and close out the pre-season with three straight home games. They will play their Mike Kelly Field debut for the 2008 season on Wednesday, welcoming the 0-4 Simpson University Red Hawks into town from Redding, Calif. They will then get a home rematch against Mills College on Saturday. The Beacons took out the Cyclones 8-1 in their first meeting last month.