By defeating No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth 10-8 on Wednesday, the third-seeded Oregon men’s club lacrosse team (19-2, 8-0 Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League) finds itself in an exclusive group and with a unique opportunity: In the Final Four of the MCLA Division A National Tournament and two wins away from winning its first national championship.
Over the program’s previous three years in the tournament, the Ducks have never made it past the second round. In 2004, Oregon defeated Boston College but lost to UC-Santa Barbara. The Ducks beat Arizona in the first round of the 2006 tournament but lost to Michigan in the second. Last year, they lost to Arizona and Lindenwood.
With Wednesday’s victory and by dropping Lindenwood on Tuesday, Oregon’s players and coaching staff draw closer to a goal they set at the beginning of the season: To take the national scene by storm and win a championship.
“It is big that we won, but we have our mind on bigger things,” junior Jeff Brunelle said.
The Ducks’ win against the Bulldogs resulted from early scoring and a little bit of luck in the muggy and windy conditions in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday. The Ducks averted a strike by Minnesota-Duluth in a second half when the Bulldogs netted five-straight goals to pull within one late in the match.
“We threw the ball away, didn’t take care of it and did not have many good possessions (in the second half),” freshman Justin Blackmore said. “People were tired mentally and not making the right decisions.”
“We had trouble protecting the ball and taking control of the game,” senior Scott Miller added.
The Ducks led 9-3 at the half. Minnesota-Duluth may have had a better chance at a comeback victory if it didn’t stumble into late penalties in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs racked up all four of their yellow cards during the last 14 minutes of the game. Conversely, the Ducks’ five penalties all came in the first three quarters.
Ryan Warren nailed a goal with seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Julian Coffman led all scorers with three goals and five total points.
“He is an integral part of our offense, “Brunelle said of Coffman. “He had some assists in the game so it is everything he brings to the table that helps us.”
Blackmore netted two goals. Sophomore Clay Knope added two assists and five other Ducks scored a goal.
For the Bulldogs, Casey Mithun scored a team-high four points off two goals and two assists. Nate Goertz and Jacob Prokop each recorded three points – Goertz had two goals and an assist and Prokop netted a goal and two assists.
The Ducks will battle No. 2 Colorado State, which blanked No. 10 Arizona State in the second round Wednesday, 14-0.
Oregon defeated Colorado State 19-6 in Eugene on Feb. 23.
The Ducks and Rams won’t play until Friday, which Blackmore said should help considerably because Oregon has been pushing through 80-degree weather.
“We are a pretty deep team, but people were still getting tired and we need that rest for Friday,” he said.