In the first 11 minutes of their match Thursday night, the Longwood lacrosse team’s young defensive unit appeared to have little to no control over Oregon’s fast-breaking offense. Junior Jen May blasted in two goals to set the Ducks ahead 5-1 with about 19 minutes remaining, but Oregon’s scoring spree would soon slow.
“They started picking up that we are a fast-break team, so then they started overloading on our offensive side,” May said. “So that made us slow down and work the ball around.”
Ultimately, Oregon (6-3, 2-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) would withstand two three-goal runs by the Lancers (0-5) late in the first half and early in the second to win 11-8 at Pape Field.
May said that the Ducks’ offensive attack in the first half was crucial in clinching the victory, which keeps them undefeated at home this season. Oregon possessed a lead as large as 7-2 at the 12:22 mark.
“I think we caught them off guard in the beginning,” May said. “We just went down and beat it down their throats from the get-go.”
Coach Jen Larsen said goalkeeper Sam Debow, who made seven saves, played fantastic lacrosse. She said Oregon’s 21 turnovers, however, were a problem at times.
“We kept going down on the defensive end and weren’t making plays like we were hoping to,” Larsen said of the team’s second-half performance.
Oregon junior Alison Leiner led all scorers with four goals and an assist in a match that saw each team score just three goals in the second half. May finished with three goals and an assist. Four other Ducks scored a goal. The Ducks finish their homestand against Colgate on Saturday at 1 p.m.