It was a rally in the valley as in-state rivals Oregon and Oregon State faced off Friday evening at Pape Field. Oregon won 1-0 in overtime over the Beavers.
Led by midfielder Zoe Hasenauer and defender Mia Palmer, the Ducks held the Beavers offense to very few opportunities.
At the fifth minute, Hasenauer gave the Ducks an early look with a shot straight down the center. The shot was saved by Oregon State’s goalkeeper Bridgette Skiba.
Up until the 10th minute of the game, the Beavers were unable to advance the ball through the neutral zone.
For the first half, Hasenauer remained the field general, creating opportunities for the Ducks on both sides of the ball. Just this last week, she jumped into a tie for sixth in UO career assists (11).
Despite the score remaining 0-0 at the end of the first half, Oregon ended the 45th minute with four shots on goal, one from forward Ally Cook, another from midfielder Caitlin Shaw and right before halftime, senior Curran fired one over the woodwork. The Beavers had zero shots on goal entering halftime.
With the start of the second half, the Beavers and Ducks picked up right where they left off, stymying one another with tight, physical defensive play.. Oregon State defender Maddy Ellsworth headlined a fierce Oregon State defense.
Entering the 64th minute, a shot came from Oregon state’s midfielder Abby Schwartz but a save from Oregon substitute goalkeeper Charlotte Brisley kept the game scoreless.
As the game neared the end of the second half, the energy seemed to intensify throughout the entire stadium.
A major foul came from Oregon, leading to a crucial free kick from Oregon State. As the 83 minute struck, the Oregon defense stood tall, turning away three shots from the Beavers.
A third and final save came from Brisley with under five minutes remaining, propelling the game into overtime.
Within 4 minutes of the first whistle, Oregon’s Chai Cortez took the corner kick, sending it across right into forward Cook, who drilled the game-winner past the Oregon State keeper.
The win gives Oregon women’s soccer its first winning season in 14 years, marking a very important achievement under first-year head coach Graeme Abel.
The NCAA Tournament field will be announced this Monday at 10 a.m.
