The Arizona State Sun Devils bested the Oregon lacrosse team 11-9 in a back and forth affair that included seven ties and six lead changes Friday in Tempe.

Both teams entered the contest with losing records, desperate for a win in the first game of conference play.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle. Both teams were scoreless for the first 10:56 of the game until Oregon’s Shonly Wallace dropped in her 10th goal of the season to break the ice.

Goalie Cassidy Eckert did a tremendous job against Arizona State’s fast paced offense, racking up eight saves in the first half alone.

The Sun Devils were able to respond to Oregon’s first goal with back to back scores from Kylie Kroeger and Emily Munro just 38 seconds apart. 

Junior Bailey Smith answered right back with two goals of her own, putting the Ducks up 3-2 early in the second quarter.

Both teams added one more goal over the remainder of the second quarter, and the Ducks entered halftime clinging to a 4-3 advantage.

Arizona State jumped back on top with another offensive burst, scoring twice in 30 seconds.

With 6:27 to go in the third, Smith completed her hat trick for Oregon, and again the score was tied, this time at 5-5.

Both teams continued to answer each other over the remainder of the third, with the Ducks’ leading scorer Hanna Hilcoff firing in a goal, and the Sun Devils returning the favor with yet another two goal burst.

In the closing seconds of the third with the shot clock expiring, Oregon’s Alyssa Wright lasered a pass from behind the net to Hanna Hilcoff, who quickly released a shot and found the back of the net. 

This late shot clock goal was indicative of the Ducks’ offensive strategy, which features a methodical attack and plenty of ball movement.

Fittingly, the score was 7-7 entering the final quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Oregon’s Hilcoff false started on a free position opportunity that could have tied the game.

Arizona State quickly capitalized on the mistake, turning the free possession into a free position of its own, and converting to open up the first two goal lead by either team, 9-7.

With 7:37 to go, Emily Glagolev scored her fifth goal of the season for the Sun Devils, putting them up three.

The Ducks were able to rally together two late goals from Hanna Hilcoff and Lillian Stump, but ultimately ran out of gas, losing their fourth straight game.

The road ahead doesn’t get any easier, as Oregon will travel to Los Angeles and take on the No. 17 USC Trojans Sunday.