The Oregon lacrosse team picked up a pair of victories and four spots in the national rankings during its week away from school.
Then-No.12 Oregon lost the first of its three matches on March 22 in San Diego to unranked Johns Hopkins University 10-9. Tied 8-8 with just over eight minutes left in the second half, Hopkins scored twice in three minutes before Oregon’s Jana Bradley scored the Ducks’ final goal. Nineteen Oregon turnovers, a season high, helped Hopkins’ cause in the upset. Oregon wasn’t able to record an assist in the game, and Hopkins outshot the Ducks by 11. Duck senior Theresa Waldron led Oregon with three goals, while Bradley scored two.
From Southern California, Oregon had to travel almost 2,700 miles east – and play three overtimes – to get its next victory. Ranked No. 14, the Ducks’ current ranking, Oregon outlasted St. Bonaventure 11-10 in Corning, N.Y., on March 26. Oregon led by four with 21 minutes left in regulation, but let the lead slip away.
A trio of Oregon seniors, Ilsa van den Berg, Jen May and Jana Bradley, scored hat tricks against the Bonnies, with van den Berg’s final goal being the game-winning goal. Van den Berg’s second game-winner of the season came with 21 seconds left in the match.
“We came out on fire in the second half, but unfortunately let St. Bonaventure back in the game and let them have the momentum late,” said Oregon coach Jen Larsen in an Oregon press release. “But in the end we had the confidence to finish strong for the win.”
The No. 14 Ducks’ ninth win on the year was another upstate New York affair, beating Colgate University 11-9 yesterday afternoon. The Ducks’ win leaves them one away from a third consecutive 10-win season. Senior attacker Lindsay Killian rattled off a game-high four goals. Despite a 7-3 halftime lead for the Ducks, the Raiders scored five straight goals in the final 19 minutes of the second half to pull within two. In the game, Oregon outshot the Raiders by 12, controlled 11 more ground balls and had nine less turnovers, but was outscored 6-4 in the second half.
Oregon’s next match is at Papé Field this Saturday against Denver, a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival, at 1 p.m.
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