With an undefeated record and the Northwest Women’s Lacrosse Association title, the women’s club lacrosse team experienced defeat for the first time this season at nationals in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The No. 14 Ducks went winless in four contests against top-rate competition.
For all their earlier success, the 0-4 week served as a reminder of the team’s youth. The Ducks graduate only two seniors this season, a stark contrast with the teams they faced in Scottsdale.
“All the other teams were junior- and senior-heavy,” freshman club coordinator Cristen Shope said. “But it gives us a blueprint of where we want to be in the future.”
Oregon opened play with an 18-4 loss to UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos scored eight more goals than any divisional team could score against Oregon. No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara featured three All-Americans and took a commanding six-goal lead just 11 minutes into the game. It never looked back. The Ducks responded with two goals before halftime but could not trim the deficit to closer than six. On the day, the Gauchos outshot the Ducks 37-10.
“It was bad, a combination of the heat and flying,” Shope said. “UCSB was just better conditioned than we were.”
Game two wasn’t much better. No. 6 Virginia Tech outscored Oregon 21-6 in that match. Virginia Tech replicated what UC Santa Barbara had accomplished the day before, scoring on Oregon early and maintaining a healthy lead throughout the contest.
Although the Ducks lost their final two contests, games against Minnesota and West Chester demonstrated a marked improvement. Although the Ducks lost 18-12 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, they felt there was marked improvement
“We were ahead against Minnesota,” Shope said. “It was close until the end, and the score doesn’t quite tell the story.”
The Ducks fell to West Chester 20-13 on day four, but held a lead in the contest. The Ducks finished last in the competition, a far cry from their 11-0 conference season. Junior midfielder Briana Wright became the first Duck ever to receive All-American honors following a season of solid performances, and senior Julia Baker earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
“We have a lot of passion on this team, which I hope can translate into future success,” Wright said. “I hope I can take a leadership role and guide the team in my final year.”
The team ended its league campaign with an 11-0 record. Oregon last went to nationals in 2008.
“We can be these teams in a couple of years,” Shope said. “We’re using the experience as a building block.”
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Solid regular season doesn’t lead to postseason success
Daily Emerald
May 10, 2010
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