For the Oregon Club Sports women’s soccer team, the season ended they way it had wanted and expected — with another ‘W.’
Oregon played its final game of the season against Oregon State Saturday on the turf field. Oregon was generously greeted by the weather and its fans for its final match as it gave the Beavers no mercy en route to a 2-0 victory.
“As I like to say, ‘We schooled them in the art of soccer,’” head coach Barbie Bowling said. “We were pleased that we won, but it was not our best game against Oregon State.”
Throughout the year, Oregon has had no trouble winning the rivalry between the two teams. Of their six meetings, Oregon won four, tied once and had a close loss.
“OSU is always a physically intense game,” Bowling said. “We just had more heart than the other team.”
The Oregon women were very pleased as they ended the season with a 9-1-0 record. They were able to greatly improve from their fall season, when they described themselves as ‘out of shape.’
Oregon was confident that it could beat the Beavers as long as it could beat them to the ball and play with heart.
Sophomore Cristin Vanderpol and senior Lisa Ryan both stepped up, scoring a goal apiece. Ryan also earned the assist off Vanderpol’s goal-scoring header.
Oregon will lose seven seniors to graduation this year. Although the season is officially over, as soon as finals are done, many of the women will be joining city-league teams so they can still compete and play together.
Bowling plans to come back to coach and play again next year, but with the loss of many seniors, the season will be unpredictable.
The Oregon women have no worries, though, as they remain optimistic after this year’s success. And after the beating the Beavers took from them this year, they may be a little reluctant to see Oregon anytime soon.