It has come down to the wire.
It’s the final two regular season games for the Oregon women’s soccer team, and the final chance to prove it is worthy for a bid to the NCAA tournament. It’s seniors Lindsey Werdell and Mary Etter’s final chances to play at Papé Field.
In Oregon’s final homestand against USC and UCLA this weekend, the Ducks will wrap up what has perhaps been the best season in the program’s history with a 9-9 overall record and 3-4 ledger in conference.
“It definitely means a lot, not only for the tournament but also for Lindsey and for the seniors,” junior defender Christine Mintz said. “(It’s the) end of a year that has basically been about turning the program around and developing a new attitude on the team.”
Oregon’s position isn’t easy. The goal all year has been to advance to the postseason for the first time in the program’s history. The Ducks are right on the cusp for a bid; two wins this weekend would give them a solid chance, whereas one win would leave them questionable.
USC (7-7-4, 3-3-1) and No. 2 UCLA (14-1-3, 6-0-1) will give Oregon a hefty challenge to obtain its goal. But the Ducks are used to defying the odds.
“For us to be in this position, it’s challenging, but that’s OK,” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. “We faced challenges all year so we’re OK with it. It’s not easy to say we got to win two games against two teams that are nationally ranked and tournament teams year in and year out.”
Oregon hosts USC on Friday at 7 p.m. and UCLA on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Papé Field. Both teams have advanced to the NCAA tournament for the past three years and both teams have defeated nationally ranked squads this season.
The Ducks have nothing to lose when they face the Trojans, since they have yet to defeat USC in seven tries. In last year’s matchup, Oregon and USC remained scoreless for 90 minutes. The Trojans scored five minutes into overtime for the victory.
“We traditionally battle them very tough,” Steffen said. “We just haven’t got the results. Each group remembers the previous year’s battle so it’s always a pretty competitive match.”
Especially for Werdell — it being her final two regular season games at Oregon — who has had to watch her team lose to the Trojans for the past three years. She wants to leave the Ducks on a good note.
“I want to win, I want to get a win from the USC game for sure,” she said.
If the Ducks are victorious Friday, it will give them much-needed momentum heading into Sunday. UCLA moved into the No. 2 national ranking spot this week. The Bruins’ only loss this season came against North Carolina, the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
Oregon is 1-6 all-time against UCLA with the one win at home in 1999. Steffen knows that the Bruins’ national ranking makes them look good.
“What they’ve done well is doing what’s necessary in each game,” Steffen said. “They haven’t blown a lot of people out but they’ve won. Individually they’re going to be strong, but collectively we have to be stronger.”
Oregon’s destiny awaits it in the final two games, and the Ducks know they have control over it. It will be an emotional weekend where dreams come true or hearts are broken.
In a season where stars have emerged and the team has won more games than any other squad in program history, the job is still unfinished. There is more to be achieved in the eyes of the players.
“The great thing about this team is that even with how proud we are with the success we’ve gained already, we’re not satisfied,” Mintz said. “We always want to be doing better and we always know it could be better.”
Werdell, the team captain, has had three main goals in her final season with the Ducks.
She wanted the team to get the most wins it has ever had.
Check.
She wanted to beat some Pac-10 teams that Oregon has never beat.
Check.
Only the next 180 minutes of her career will reveal her final hope of the team getting its first-ever berth to the NCAA tournament.