Oregon women’s club lacrosse is making its first trip to nationals in two years, and the team has its sights set high following a winning regular season.
The Ducks were impressive during an 11-0 campaign that included a league title and run-away victories over Oregon State, Washington and Boise State.
The team dominated the Northwest Women’s Lacrosse Association despite a lack of experience at key positions on both sides of the ball. Freshman Cristen Shope and sophomore midfielder Kerry Erwin led on defense, while sophomore Solveig Lee and freshman midfielder Briana Wright anchored the offense.
“Solveig really gets our offense going,” head coach Louisa Dorsch said, “but our team functions more as a cohesive unit than a sum of individual parts. Cristen and Kerry really set the tone on the defensive side, and Briana is key in linking the attack to the defense.”
Despite being led by underclassmen, the Ducks routinely overpowered opponents while cruising to an uncontested league crown. Their secret to success lays in the team bonding their intense season required.
Dorsch said the team played in Santa Barbara during the fall to meet some of the toughest teams in the nation early on, and doing so “forces the team to quickly get acquainted.”
“We played (UC Santa Barbara) after only 2 weeks of practice,” she said. “Whether they like each other or not, they’re forced to get to know each other.”
During a five-hour layover in Los Angeles, newcomers to the team were introduced to the veteran Erwin in a comical episode they all rushed to tell.
“Kerry was going through a Miley Cyrus phase,” Shope said, “and even though all of us barely knew each other, she busted out a full rendition of ‘Party in the USA’ in the middle of LAX — full blast in her headphones, singing every word.”
When the team became more comfortable on and off the field, it showed in their performance. The women dropped two out of three games in a recent tournament featuring top competition, but felt they benefitted from the experience and showed growth from their early season performances.
“We played the University of Texas, (Colorado) and Chico State, all of whom are ranked in the top 15,” Dorsch said. “We had two close losses and a great win in our last contest. Considering the competition, I felt like we held our own.”
The team is competing at nationals in Scottsdale, Ariz., with its highest ranking ever at No. 14 in the 16-team tournament. They have a first-round matchup with No. 3 UC Santa Barbara May 5. The young but composed Oregon players come into the match with respect for their opponent but a belief that they have a real chance of springing an upset.
“We’re expecting to finish in the top five at nationals this year, plain and simple,” Erwin said. “We have played well enough against top teams that we could make deep run this year. We’d love to get out of the first round for the first time in this program’s history.”
As a group of young players searching for an identity, the team has made a concerted effort to keep focused on the team’s first priority: nationals.
“We have high expectations and good leadership,” Lee said. “The key is that we lead by example. We respect the girls that worked the hardest and show the most commitment. We have young talent, but it all starts by establishing a culture of hard work.”
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