Six games into the Pac-12 season, the Oregon women’s soccer team (7-7-1, 2-4-0 Pac-12) has not lost a conference game in which it has scored a goal. So when the Ducks scored two goals in the first twenty minutes of play Sunday against Colorado (3-9-2, 0-5-1 Pac-12), it was a good sign.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=237&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205317717@@
The Ducks went on to beat the Buffaloes 3-1 for their second Pac-12 win of the season thanks to a balanced attack and goals from three different players.@@same@@
“We really committed to playing hard as a team,” Oregon head coach Tara Erickson said.
The Ducks got on the board in the 16th minute with a swift counter-attack play. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Parlee, who played the first half in place of freshman Abby Steele, made a save and booted the ball downfield, finding freshman Bri Pugh for her third goal of the year.@@same@@
Parlee was credited with an assist on the play, just the third time in school history and first time since 2001 that a goalkeeper earned an assist.@@same@@
A freshman scoring a goal assisted by a senior was indicative of a Duck team that features freshmen in several key roles, including two of three scorers for the Ducks on Sunday.
Parlee said that because the Ducks’ freshman class is such an integral part of the team, they aren’t able to make the same mistakes that first-year players can make at other schools.
“Just because they’re freshmen doesn’t mean they get to play like freshmen,” Parlee said.
Parlee started due to an undisclosed violation of team policy by regular starter Abby Steele, according to Erickson. Steele did play in the second half, and Erickson said the policy violation was nothing major.
Nevertheless, it was Parlee’s first start since Sept. 2, and she was grateful to be back on the field.
“I felt good about my time out there,” Parlee said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Despite the long layoff, Parlee said when she took the field her instincts took over.
“I’m a very vocal goalkeeper,” Parlee said. “If I’m talking, I don’t hear my own nerves.”
The Ducks’ second goal of the match came three minutes after their first, when Scout Libke scored her third goal of the year on a penalty kick. The Ducks earned the spot kick when a Colorado player handled the ball inside the penalty area.
“Playing with a lead from such an early point in the game allowed the Ducks to control tempo and possession,” said freshman Ally Aschbacher, who scored Oregon’s third goal of the game.
“(Scoring early) was extremely important,” Aschbacher said.  “It set the tone of the game and allowed us to control possession.”
Scoring so early not only motivated the Ducks, it also took Colorado out of the game.
“It really breaks down a team mentally,” Aschbacher said.
Aschbacher scored to give the Ducks a 3-0 advantage in the 71st minute, just two minutes after she entered the game. It was Aschbacher’s first collegiate goal, and she was quick to credit her teammate for setting it up.
“Ryann (Davie) played an awesome ball to me, and I just hit it in,” Aschbacher said.
The game featured four yellow cards, two for Oregon and two for Colorado. The Buffalo coach was also sent off in the 78th minute for something he said to an official.
The game was televised by ROOT Sports, the first time this season the Ducks have played on TV. Erickson said that the team didn’t feel any additional pressure, though the broadcast did alter the Ducks warm-up schedule slightly, which she said was more of a burden on her than it was on her team.
“It’s probably more nerve-wracking for a coach,” Erickson said.