Coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, the Washington State women’s soccer team looks to return to their winning ways against Arizona and Arizona State this weekend.

With postseason play just around the corner, the remaining games on the Cougars’ schedule are must-win matches if the team wants to earn a postseason berth.

“Unfortunately we have put ourselves in an all-too familiar place by having to win games down the stretch,” Head Coach Keidane McAlpine said. “The extra days off this week will help us get our minds back and focused.”

Due to the success of the Pac-12 conference as a whole, should WSU string together wins in its last five matches, the team will have solidified themselves as postseason contenders.

“The RPI of these teams are all ahead of us, so there’s enough room left with the quality of the teams,” McAlpine said. “Arizona has done well this season, so we just have to go and handle our business one game at a time.”

Although Washington State has dropped its last two games, the losses have come by one-goal margins, which once again proves that the quality of the conference from top to bottom is second to none.

“I think this is just another testament to the quality of the league,” McAlpine said. “Every day you step out on the park you can be beaten, and we lost a little bit of that edge we had earlier in the season. Now we have to find it again and take it to Arizona.”

WSU has suffered multiple injuries to starters throughout the season including sophomore Cara Wegner and redshirt senior Kayla Johnson. Wegner was able to return for some minutes in the Oct. 18 match against Oregon State, which should rekindle the chemistry among the starting unit.

“Between Kayla Johnson and Cara Wegner, getting them back will help us tremendously down the stretch and hopefully in the postseason,” McAlpine said.

After starting the year on a roll, the defense has looked suspect in recent weeks.

“A lot of people are playing more minutes than they did earlier in the year,” he said. “Getting a few people back and getting some better rotations will help us have the strength in legs and speed.”

Washington State holds a 14-3-1 record against Arizona all time, and an 11-7-0 advantage over Arizona State.

WSU takes on Arizona Friday at 2 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks, followed by Arizona State Sunday at 1 p.m.