History, rankings and records will all go against the Oregon soccer team as the Ducks take on No. 17 California and No. 9 Stanford at Papé Field this weekend.
So what will Oregon have in its favor? Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said his Ducks will be confident, despite the avalanche of negative factors.
“We feel like we can beat anybody in the country,” Steffen said. “I think we have to feel like that.”
The Ducks have been unsuccessful against the northern California teams in the past. Oregon is a combined 0-8 against Cal and Stanford, and has scored only once against the teams, while being scored upon 21 times.
Oregon has had more success against Cal than Stanford. Three seasons ago, the Ducks traveled to Berkeley and took the Golden Bears to overtime, before losing 2-1.
This season, the Bay Area teams are as dominant as ever. Stanford has lost only once, to sixth-ranked Santa Clara. California was 7-1 heading into last week, before the Bears dropped a match to No. 14 St. Mary’s and tied with San Francisco. Cal’s only previous loss was to No. 10 Texas A&M.
Both teams enter Pacific-10 Conference play with high hopes for trips to the NCAA Tournament, where both teams went last season. Both teams were knocked off in the second round of the tournament.
Oregon is still searching for its first NCAA Tournament berth. With a 6-2-1 record heading into Pac-10 play, the Ducks will most likely need four conference victories — a feat never before accomplished by the Ducks — to make this season’s NCAA Tournament.
Oregon has improved this season with speed and an offensive onslaught. After being outscored 64-21 and outshot 397-261 last season, the Ducks have turned the offensive tables on their opponents this season. Oregon is currently outscoring its opponents, 21-10, and outshooting its foes, 202-90.
“We’re executing very well,” Steffen said.
The Ducks are led on offense by a trio of high-scoring forwards. Senior Chalise Baysa, Oregon’s all-team leading scorer in both points and goals, has five scores this season, bumping her career total to 28. Nicole Garbin, a freshman who came to Oregon after a highly-successful high school career in Hawaii, also has five goals. Garbin leads the team in points, with 13. Senior Beth Bowler, who had only three career goals heading into this season, already has four this year.
But the Ducks are getting support across the board. The low shot total of Oregon’s opponents reveals a strong defense, anchored by senior Angela Romero, junior Lindsey Peterson and sophomore Lindsey Werdell. In the midfield, senior Starr Johnson has blossomed as a do-everything, defensive midfielder, and even scored two goals against Portland State last weekend. The Ducks are also getting help from a deep bench, which includes sometimes-starters Ann Westermark, Julie McLellan and Crystal David.
Oregon will face California at 3 p.m. Friday and will take on Stanford at 1 p.m. Sunday.