Nicole Garbin holds 21 Oregon women’s soccer records, including the marks for single-season and career goals, game-winning goals, assists, multi-goal games, and shots.
Too bad Nicole Garbin doesn’t play in green and yellow anymore. Garbin finished her final season last fall, and since then, the question for the Ducks has been: how do you replace her? The answer coach Tara Erickson has found is that you don’t – at least, not with only one player.
“I think a couple different individuals can step up and put the same numbers up that Garbin had,” Erickson said after Oregon’s Sept. 7 win over UC Riverside at Papé Field. “But the great thing is is that there’s more than one player, so if one individual happens to have an off game or something’s not going right, someone else steps up. That’s what we’re seeing, different players stepping up at different times.”
What’s allowed Erickson to apply so many different players is the Ducks’ change in formation and attacking style for this season. Last year, Oregon played in a 4-4-2, with Garbin partnering another forward – where the record-holder’s strength, speed, and ability on the ball allowed her to take much of the workload effectively onto her own shoulders. For this season, Erickson has shifted the Ducks into a 4-3-3 – with three central midfielders supporting a center forward and two wingers. For Oregon’s home games against UC Riverside and Montana, senior Tiffany Smith, junior Allison Newton and sophomore Dani Oster were the starters, with Smith in the center, Newton on the left and Oster on the right.
Erickson has taken full advantage of college soccer’s substitution rules, which has given freshmen Jen Stoltenberg and Jill Jensen plenty of playing time up front while retaining a mix with experienced players on the field. Jensen and Stoltenberg both scored coming off the bench in the win against Riverside, and also featured against Montana.
This also allows for even more of a trademark of Erickson’s Oregon team – side backs helping in attack. “The strength of our team is our outside backs getting in,” sophomore midfielder Danielle Sweeney said. “We wanted to utilize that just like we did last year, except for now we have three in the middle, so it gives them more space to get behind all the way up in the attacking third.”
Sweeney – who platooned at left back at times last year – has been tasked to play the creative role from midfield for the Ducks this year, and has been effective so far. Playing deep behind the forwards but given more room to roam out of midfield, the sophomore has helped set up attacks and also has put three goals away after the game on Sept. 9. Her play has impressed her coach, who sees her “little engine” in the midfield inspire her team.
“It fires other players up to see what she’s doing offensively, defensively, and then you see everyone taking off,” Erickson said.
Importantly, Erickson likes the matchup problems the Ducks’ multi-pronged offense creates for opposing teams. In describing the offensive style, Erickson said it involves a great deal of passing before tapping a simple goal home, instead of relying on a lightning-bolt strike from outside the box.
“It’s like a chess match, can you pick apart the other team for that easy one?” Erickson said.
“A good attack can always beat a great defense.”