The University of Oregon women’s club soccer team is undefeated on the season and headed to the national tournament in Memphis.
The team earned its nationals birth last weekend when it finished first place at the regional tournament held at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Oregon went 4-0 in the tournament and blanked its opponents in every game.
The Ducks scored eight goals and allowed zero goals against behind a stalwart back line led by junior center back Margaux Baatz. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Rasmussen and sophomore goalkeeper Aly Nilan-Axline combined for respective shutouts in each game.
The sting of defeat from last year’s tournament was fresh in the minds of the team’s 14 returning members.
“We got killed in the tournament last year,” senior center midfielder Stephanie Palomino said. “We weren’t sure what to expect heading into this year.”
Oregon competes in arguably the biggest and toughest soccer region in the country—one which includes powerhouses UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. To make matters worse, the Ducks lost two starting center midfielders and a forward to injuries over the course of the tournament. The cards were stacked against the women; the fact that they entered as heavy underdogs only to steamroll the competition made the taste of victory that much sweeter.
Although Oregon’s domination in the tournament certainly turned a fair share of heads, head coach Caitlin Casey made sure each player entered the tournament with a winning mindset.
“Going into the tournament, we never talked like we weren’t going to win the whole thing,” Casey said. “But the fashion we did it in, against great competition, exceeded my expectations.”
Casey, who took over as head coach at the beginning of this season, has instilled a competitive drive in the players to push each other to become better in games, practices and warm-ups. No player is ever expected to play under Casey and each must earn her spot in the lineup every week. Her open competition mentality in turn fostered a well-balanced team featuring no superstars nor prima donnas.
The core of the team comprises of juniors and seniors including Baatz, Palomino and Rasmussen, who have developed a strong chemistry on and off the field over the last three years. The upperclassmen have played an important role raising the level of competition and setting reachable expectations for the younger players on the team. Casey attributes the team’s success to its camaraderie and high level of commitment.
“As a first year head coach, I’ve heard commitment can be wishy washy but that’s definitely not what I’ve seen with this group,” Casey said. “A lot of people work really hard and want to do well for each other instead of for themselves.”
The players has never felt closer or more confident than they do now as the national tournament looms ahead. Oregon hosted a home tournament this weekend featuring teams from across the western region to raise funds for the trip and work out some final kinks before the real deal.
Oregon will compete in the women’s club soccer national tournament from Nov. 20 to 22 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @kennyjacoby