If you believe what Oregon lacrosse coach Jen Larsen preaches to her players, then scoring what would have been the game-tying goal from 70 yards away in less than nine seconds should have been routine for the Ducks on Saturday against Denver.
“Jen always tells us to get a goal you need seven seconds from the draw,” freshman midfielder Alex Breiner said. “That’s what we were thinking, almost a goal and a half right there.”
But Denver (7-5 overall, 1-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), which led from the opening score two minutes in, wouldn’t let the Ducks advance the ball more than 20 yards and extended its all-time record to 5-0 against Oregon in a 13-12 win on a soggy afternoon at Papé Field.
“It just didn’t work out for us,” said Breiner, whose three goals tied her for the game high.
No. 16 Oregon’s hopes of winning the regular-season MPSF title and advancing to the 16-team NCAA Tournament took a big hit in the loss. The Ducks (9-4 overall, 1-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) couldn’t overcome a lackluster first half that Larsen said gave Denver “a false confidence that they could basically take this game.”
Behind 25 percent shooting-the Pioneers shot 50 percent comparatively in the half-Oregon trailed 3-0 in the first 13 minutes and 6-3 at the half.
“We gave them a confidence that they didn’t deserve or take. We gave it to them,” Larsen said.
Up 10-5 with 17 minutes left and it looking like Denver wouldn’t let the Ducks come any closer, attackers Ilsa van den Berg, Theresa Waldron, Jana Bradley and midfielder Breiner ripped off four consecutive goals in four minutes to shrink the deficit to one.
Oregon and Denver would each score three goals in the final 10 minutes before Oregon’s try with nine seconds left.
The goal was to have a misdirection play and get the ball into the hands of the Ducks’ leading scorer, van den Berg.
“She just drew up a play and just tried to draw all our attention to another play trying to get it to Ilsa,” Breiner said.
Larsen thought the play could work, too.
“I felt like our team was getting a little bit rattled and didn’t quite have that momentum again and I felt if I could take that nine seconds it’s definitely possible to score in nine seconds,” Larsen said.
Denver’s answer to the play, however, was to foul Oregon’s players immediately, keeping the Ducks’ movement to a minimum and allowing to clock to slowly trickle off.
“I would’ve done the same thing Denver did,” Larsen said.
The Ducks’ effort in the final 16 minutes was the type of effort the players and coaches know they can put up but have yet to translate into a whole game performance.
“I feel like we all need to come together as a group and just play consistent the whole game,” senior attacker Theresa Waldron said.
“One of our major problems this year is we’re not playing a 60 minute game,” Breiner said. “We’ll go out there the first half and not play to the best of our ability.”
Van den Berg scored three goals, Jen May added two other goals and an assist, and Waldron had a goal and two assists.
The Ducks’ focus is now turned to its last weekend of MPSF play, this weekend against California and St. Mary’s at Papé Field.
The two games will mark the final homestand for eight senior players, the first senior class in Oregon lacrosse history.
The class was Larsen’s first recruiting class, and will make for an emotional day.
Waldron is ready.
“It’s one of our last games going in the season for seniors,” Waldron said. “I’m pumped, I’m ready to play.”
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