The Oregon women’s soccer team added two players to its incoming class Monday.
Corvallis native Tori Johnson started in goal all four years throughout her high school career, and was an all-state first team selection as a senior. Johnson led the Spartans to the OSAA quarterfinals and earned Mid-Willamette Conference Player of the Year honors.
“We were looking to improve our depth at goalkeeper and got really fortunate in finding someone basically in our backyard,” Oregon coach Tara Erickson said in a press release. “Tori is somewhat of a late-bloomer, but has had a tremendous senior year in terms of her development as a goalkeeper and she’s going to be able to come in and learn from Jessie (Chatfield) and continue that development.”
Chatfield, a sophomore and the Ducks’ incumbent starter, was another local product. She led Churchill High School to the Midwestern League title in 2002 and was a four-time state tournament qualifier.
Erickson also announced that midfielder Jenny Baker will transfer to Oregon from Central Florida and join the Ducks as a sophomore in the fall.
In her freshman campaign this season, Baker, an Eatonville, Wash. native, played in 10 games and registered one assist.
Previously, Baker finished her career at Eatonville High School as the all-time leading scorer at the Washington 2A high school level. She scored 146 goals and 70 assists in her career at Eatonville.
Baker was a four-time all-league selection and a three-time all-state pick who led Eatonville to three state tournaments and finally won the championship during her senior year.
“Jenny is someone who we recruited two years ago, so we’re very familiar with what she can do,” Erickson said. “She’s a tough, hard-nosed player who isn’t afraid to slide tackle and mix it up, but she’s also skilled enough to make things happen with the ball once she’s made the play defensively.”
With the additions of Johnson and Baker, the Ducks will debut nine new players this fall. The class enters on the heels of outgoing Oregon soccer star Nicole Garbin and seniors Rachel Grushkin and Emily Marrer.
The Ducks will end their spring season with an exhibition game against the Seattle Sounders this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Papé Field.
– Stefanie Loh