Wildcat soccer will hit the road to take on national champion team Concordia University (CU) on Oct. 12. 

The team has to compete against three national championship teams. According to Head coach Micheal Farrand, among them are Seattle Pacific University (SPU), Western Washington University (WWU) and CU.

Farrand said that they have struggled against CU in the past. According to the Wildcat Sports website, the Wildcats have a 1-5 losing record against CU.

“Whether you’re one of the top teams or one of the bottom teams, the west region is so competitive, you have to play every game like it is a World Cup game,” Farrand said.

The Wildcats have an overall record of 4-4. Last week they won 2-0 against Saint Martin’s University and lost 0-2 against WWU. The Wildcats won 2-1 against Simon Fraser University, 1-0 against California State University, East Bay and 2-1 against Fresno Pacific University. CWU lost with close games of 0-1 against California State University San Marcos, 2-4 to University of Hawaii at Hilo and 2-3 to Hawaii Pacific University.

Farrand said that they have a great team this year, but they have lost key players due to injuries, one being one of the top forwards in the league. The players’ names are protected by HIPAA privacy rules. On the other hand, CU suffers their own disadvantages with a loss of 12 senior players. CU is having a losing season with a 2-6 record after losing to SPU.

Midfielder Sydney Lowe said something that sets the Wildcats apart from other teams is their ability to possess the ball,which, according to her, is something other teams in the conference struggle with.

Farrand said that another strength is speed. He said they have been doing a good job playing fast together.

 Lowe said they never go into a game with the mindset that they will easily win. She said they need to go into every game as if they were going to war and they need to play aggressively if they want to win.

Forward Peyton Vogel said that each game is its own battle. She said each game comes with a new set of challenges to overcome.

Midfielder Olivia Sloan believes a skill the Wildcats possess is passing and closing together as a team. She said they don’t play as individuals, they play as one. They excel in agility and synchronized movements.

According to Sloan, the Wildcats practice three times a day. She said a strategy they utilize is walkthroughs. This allows them to slow everything down and get a better understanding of their plays.

“What motivates me is knowing I’ll have support from the rest of the team. They are like my family,” Vogel said.