The No. 13 Wisconsin women's soccer team (3-0-1) will travel to Portland, Ore., Friday to take part in the Nike Invitational. The Badgers are scheduled to play No. 5 Portland (4-0-0) Friday and Washington (0-2-2) Sunday.

"We are going out there to win two games," Wisconsin head coach Dean Duerst said. "Having that kind of team confidence, you have to believe in yourself when you play teams like this. Last time we went to Portland we tied them and they were No. 2 in the country. So, it's a big challenge that we need right now."

Friday's game between Portland and Wisconsin will be the second time this season that UW has played a ranked opponent. The last time the Badgers and the Pilots met, the game ended in a tie.

"There is a lot of atmosphere at the University of Portland stadium," Duerst said. "The whole community gets really involved … so for our players to play in that environment, that's great. It will help us down the line."

"Portland is going to be a really big test for us," freshman forward Elise Webber said. "It's exciting to see where we are going to stand against a team that high up."

Portland is led by senior forward Christine Sinclair, who was recently named the national player of the week by Soccer Buzz, Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer. Last week, the Burnaby, British Columbia, native led the Pilots with eight goals and two assists. She also set a Pape Field record with five goals and an assist at Oregon last week.

Sinclair and the leading scorer for Wisconsin, Amy Vermeulen, who leads the team with four goals, actually played against each other in Canada. Both Vermeulen and Sinclair were members of the country's national team. Duerst is expecting a firm matchup between the two rivals.

"Portland has one really special player that seems to just show up at the right time," Duerst said of Sinclair. "Vermeulen played with her at the World Championships, so it's kind of a reunion between them; two Canadians going at it. Amy (Vermeulen) is our star player up top; she just has a few goals less than Sinclair. They will battle it out."

Duerst also is expecting improved team defense this weekend. He is anticipating his team to be patient and capable of matching up against a highly ranked opponent.

"The thing about Portland is that we can match up with them," Duerst said. "It's just how we stay disciplined and use our team defense. Its being patient as a team, staying in shape as a team and not creating what we call gaps in the field. We don't want a big gap between our backs and our mids. That is the biggest challenge really."

Sunday's game against Washington will also be an important matchup for the Badgers. Though Washington is currently unranked, the Huskies entered the season ranked No. 20 in the nation. The Huskies have yet to win a game this season, but should be looking for their first win this weekend.

"Washington is a very good team, year in and year out," Duerst said. "They have had a rocky start, but that makes them a dangerous team. They are a team that will be fighting for a victory. So, we need to be focused for the whole weekend and be really confident."

The Badgers have a few more goals in mind this weekend. Although they remain undefeated, Duerst's squad has yet to come out and take control of a game from the start.

"We are just hoping to come out and play well," senior captain Jessica Ring said. "I think we haven't come out from the beginning or played well from the start at any game yet."

This weekend will be a test for the Badgers. The squad went undefeated in non-conference play last year and would like to continue the trend this season.