A two-goal, twenty-second span decided the outcome of Oregon’s 2-1 loss to LSU in its first game of the season Friday night at Pape’ Field.
At 23:43, Summer Clarke scored the first goal of the game to put LSU on top 1-0.
Six minutes later, junior Marlo Sweatman notched the second goal of her career for the Ducks from 30′ to tie it. After dribbling up the middle and momentarily losing the ball, Sweatman fired a shot fast enough to make the LSU goalie — Catalina Rubiano — freeze.
“She didn’t play in the spring, so when Marlo is 100 percent, it’s going to be a lot of fun for us,” Mertz said.
The tie would not hold for long, however.
Twenty seconds after Sweatman’s goal, LSU’s Jorian Baucom scored an unassisted goal from the right of the box. At 30:14, the final score was set.
“That’s a dagger,” head coach Kat Mertz said. “I thought we had the momentum completely”
Sweatman said a few of the Ducks switched off of their assigned matchups on defense after her goal, which led to the confusion and subsequent LSU goal.
“We need some more communication all around,” Mertz said. “Not only communication, but also trusting that communication and being able to play that ball when it’s communicated.”
Some of the miscommunications could possibly be explained by a few players playing in new positions, such as Kristen Parr.
Parr, who easily has the most career goals for the Ducks with 12, made her debut as a defender on Friday night. Mertz said she did a good job job of keeping up with the fast, physical pace of LSU’s offense.
“She’s got the pace to cover,” Mertz said. “(Parr) did a good job with the physicality of the five (LSU offensive players) up top and she reads the game so well.”
Goalie Lauren Holden, who split time in the net with Halla Hinriksdottir in an exhibition versus Portland last Saturday, played the entire game. She allowed two goals and saved one.
Mertz said the coaching staff would make a decision later Friday night about who will start as goalie in the Ducks’ next game at Seattle on Sunday afternoon.
Follow Jack Heffernan on Twitter @JackTHeffernan