Oregon women’s soccer kicked off its 2016 season with an exhibition game against the Portland State Vikings at home Friday evening, and came away with a 1-1 tie.
It seemed as though the Ducks had secured the win with a score of 1-0 until the 85th minute, when Portland State’s Breanne Chilton-Eddy scored off of an assist by Krystal De Ramos. The Ducks were shaken, and appeared to be in panic-mode for the final five minutes of play.
“They were trying to press and obviously get the game winner,” Oregon head coach Kat Mertz said. “It was getting a little bit choppy; we couldn’t find the ball, we couldn’t get a hold of it and we were getting anxious to score another goal.”
When the clock struck 90 minutes, both team’s coaches agreed to end the game rather than going into overtime, due to the heat. The entire game was played in over 90 degree weather.
Sophomore Marissa Everett scored Oregon’s only goal in the 70th minute, unassisted.
“She’s dynamic and crafty… her vision of the game is way ahead,” Mertz said. “I think Jessica Yu and her playing together is going to be a pretty dynamic duo.”
Oregon finished with 18 shot attempts, while Portland State only had five. The Ducks came into the second half aggressively, improving their ball movement and maintaining possession. During halftime, Mertz told her team to “simplify the game.”
“We like to put the opposition on their back foot,” sophomore midfielder Nicole Seaman said. “We obviously like to test the goalkeepers, and see what we can get out of it.”
Seaman played aggressive offense, accounting for two shots on goal. Senior Maryn Beutler, juniors Caitlyn Wong and Miranda Schulz, and sophomore Bayley Bruner all finished with two shots on goal as well. Marissa Everett finished with three.
The Ducks will now travel to Hawaii to face the University of Hawaii and Gonzaga on Aug. 19 and 21, where their games will now count towards their overall record. They will be back at Papé Field on Aug. 26 when they take on Nebraska at 4:30 p.m.
Follow Alexa Chedid on Twitter @alexachedid18