Fifteen seconds left. Oregon is down 2-1 to Oregon State.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Peters makes the crucial save. Peters blasts the ball upfield to senior forward Amanda Orand. Orand splits the defense, and finds the back of the net to tie the game.
Overtime. Senior Robi Thayer makes a solid hit to one of the Beaver forwards. Senior Lindsey Peterson recovers the ball and brings it up past midfield to set up senior Sarah Denner. Denner makes a high line drive shot to the right side of the net. Oregon wins 3-2.
That’s the way the five senior Ducks would have liked to see Friday’s game — and their careers — end. But Oregon’s final game was not the suspenseful thriller just described; it ended in a loss to Oregon State, 2-1.
It doesn’t matter how it ended for the Ducks because it was a memorable season all around.
“We gave it our all and I don’t have any regrets,” Orand said. “I had a great season and I love the team.”
Oregon walks away from the season 2-14-2 and 1-7-1 in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Injuries plagued the Ducks from the beginning and cost them in the end. Sophomore forward Nicole Garbin, the leading returning scorer from last year, suffered a severe knee injury before the season started.
And backup keeper Domenique Lainez suffered a right ankle sprain at the beginning of September, which left her sidelined all season.
Oregon’s record reflects the tough competition for the Ducks, as they faced the best in the country. The women played the likes of North Carolina, Portland, Stanford and UCLA along with other NCAA veterans from last year.
According to preseason polls, 10 Oregon opponents were picked among the top 25 by Soccer America.
“We learned to play with any team in the country,” junior midfielder Lindsey Werdell said. “We were able to play through adversity and play as a team.”
Werdell will return as a senior for Oregon next year, but for the five other veteran Ducks, they have had to come to the realization that Friday night was the last time they would wear an Oregon uniform.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet,” Peterson said. “It’s kind of sad but now I can look forward to other things.”
And for the seniors, it’s time to pass the torch to a younger Duck generation.
Oregon found itself blessed with 13 newcomers on the roster this year, including 10 freshmen. Of the new Ducks, four started more than five games for Oregon this season and all gained valuable college experience.
“All in all, this team has played some really good soccer, and they can be a really good team,” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. “It will take a little bit of time and a little bit of maturity, but they are very capable.”
Steffen said if the Ducks can eliminate some petty mistakes and gain more experience in learning to play together as a team, then they look to do just fine.
And the young generation can feel confident as those who will be leaving them behind know they have the chance to be great.
“They are going to come back next year and be an awesome team,” Peters said. “I wish I could play with them again. Their season next year is just going to be amazing and the tournament is definitely in grasp.”
“They can build off each other and their talents, and they are going to go far,” Orand said. “They are really good for being a young team.”
As the Ducks walked off Papé Field in the pouring rain Friday night, they walked with their heads held high. They left it all on the field and had no regrets, and that is deserving of greatness.
For some, it was the last 90 minutes of soccer they will ever play, and for others, this season was a new beginning.
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