If only the first 89 minutes had been as intense as the final 90 seconds.
Julie McLellan’s signature flip-throw, a convenient bounce and a rare header from 5-foot-2 forward Chalise Baysa nearly netted the Oregon soccer team a goal with 1:30 left to play Wednesday against No. 4 Portland.
The ball, however, ricocheted off the cross bar.
Forty-five seconds later, a rocketed rebound shot off Baysa’s left foot appeared to do the trick, but Portland goalie Cristin Shea made her sixth and final save of the game to preserve a 3-0 shutout for the Pilots (8-1-0 overall).
Off to the best start in their five-year existence, the Ducks (5-2-1 overall) appear to be headed toward a similar plateau that head coach Clive Charles has piloted Portland to over the last decade. Bill Steffen and his squad, though, still have some work to do, evident by the first half Wednesday.
“In the first half, we didn’t show up to play,” said Baysa, who was selected Wednesday to the Soccer Buzz Nation Elite Team of the week. “We didn’t execute off the bat.”
In the second minute of the game, freshman Nicole Garbin had a chance to put the Ducks on the board first, but a diving stop by Shea prevented the Ducks from an early lead. Less than a minute later, Lisa Casagrande gave Portland its first of three goals and the edge it needed during the first 45-minute session.
The second half, however, showed what the Ducks are capable of — even if the results weren’t there. The Ducks, who have been outscored 9-0 in four meetings with the Pilots, out-shot Portland 9-4 in the second half.
“We addressed some issues at halftime and in the second half, we were more focused,” Baysa said.
After the most successful weekend in program history — which included a 3-0 win over 19th-ranked San Diego and a 5-0 win over Eastern Washington — Baysa and the Ducks came into the Portland game riding their best-ever four-game winning streak.
“With the winning streak, we were confident today, but we weren’t cocky or anything,” Baysa said.
Confidence is a major ingredient in baking success. Steffen has taken his program, which began with a 5-11-2 mark in 1996, to respectability now. With Pacific-10 Conference play starting in eight days, Steffen and the Ducks are aiming to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
“We have more expectations of ourselves now,” Baysa said.