The undefeated Washington State Cougars open Pac-12 play against the winless Oregon State Beavers.

The Cougs (5-0-2) look to open conference play on a winning note as they travel to Corvallis. The team said in their preparation for Oregon State (0-6-3), every conference game is a must-win.

“I am pretty excited for this week, I think the team has been training really well and getting our formations straight,” sophomore Kaitlyn Johnson said. “I think we are going to do pretty good this Friday, I think it was good to get our legs back and take this week to recover while getting our minds straight for Pac-12 play. I think the team is excited, we are ready to go.”

Despite the Beavers’ winless record, WSU Head Coach Steve Nugent will not let his players take the matchup lightly. With Nugent’s first conference game on Friday, he said the momentum from this game would carry the team into tougher matches.

“Oregon State is a very difficult team,” Nugent continued. “I have watched them on tape for the last week and a half, they are the best (winless) team I have seen in the history of soccer. Any time you go into Pac-12 play it is an opportunity to turn another switch on. Oregon State will be saying anything can happen when you go into the Pac-12.”

Going into the last opening weekend of her Pac-12 soccer career, senior Nicole Setterlund had an important message for her teammates.

“You have to win the games you are supposed to win,” Setterlund said. “You have to take each game one game at a time in Pac-12 play because there are no teams you can just walk over, every team is a good team.”

The Cougars are one of 10 teams nationally who are undefeated heading into play this weekend. Two conference foes are on that list in UCLA and Utah. Nugent said he is happy where his team is right now and pleased that the depth grew in non-conference play. He said depth should pay dividends in what will be a grueling conference schedule.

“I feel really good about where we are at right now,” Nugent said. “I think our non-conference schedule opponents put us under a lot of pressure. We are still a young team; we have a lot of experience but have had to change up some formations. The thing that I am most excited about after the non-conference is the depth we have been able to create.”

The match is set to kick off at 4 p.m. Friday and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.