Although the 2019 season has been a struggle for the Ducks’ Lacrosse program, senior Shannon Williams has left her mark on the team.
Not only did she serve the team as a great goal scorer, but Williams became a crucial team leader. Her strong work ethic lead her not only to a record setting career, but also allowed her to lead younger players, such as Lillian Stump and Jamie Level, by example. She’s taken advantage of her last four years as a Duck not only in the sense that she’s become a better player, but also that she’s made those around her better.
“It’s been an incredible experience, and I think anyone who has come out of the program would tell you that,” Williams explained. “We always want to play to represent Oregon.”
In her freshman year at Oregon, Williams started in all 17 of the Ducks’ contests. In the 2016 season, Williams led the team in goals, scoring 30. She also tallied 13 assists. She earned a point total of 43 on the season. This is a remarkable stat line for a freshman. Not only did she show an extremely broad arsenal of skill, but she put specific emphasis on consistency, holding at least 3 points in 11 of the Ducks’ 17 games and scoring in 14 of them. She was named to the MPSF All-Tournament team, scoring 2 goals to lead the Ducks in their quarterfinal matchup against Colorado. In her freshman season, she was a three-time MPSF Rookie of the Week.
The 2017 season was a breakout year for the sophomore attacker. Williams set the Oregon single-season records for both goals and points, scoring 51 goals and tallying 21 assists to finish the year with a total of 72 points. Her strongest showing of the season came in a win over Vermont, where she tallied a season high of six goals. Along with this, she collected two three-goal games, six four-goal games and a singular five-goal game. She was also named to the MPSF all-academic team.
During Williams’ junior season, the attacker started in all 18 of Oregon’s matchups. Once again a huge year for Williams, she placed second on the team in goals, tallying a total of 41 on the season. In addition, she gathered 33 assists, breaking her own record in points in a single season with a total of 74. She also earned Pac-12 Player of the Week for her performances against UC Davis and Syracuse, of which she scored four and three goals in the contests, respectively.
“From the four years, our win over USC is definitely an amazing memory,” Williams recounted, when asked about a highlight of her experience as a Duck.
Williams fourth and final season with the Ducks has so far been nothing short of remarkable. Shadowing much of the same success as that of her earlier years at Oregon, she produced 36 goals and 27 assists for a total of 63 points. Her season high for goals came on March 15th against Arizona State, where the senior recorded four goals. As for assists, her season high came against Mercer University on February 9th, where she collected five assists. A huge leader on the team, Williams has also served as a team captain in 2019.
“The winning culture needs to be built, and I think the start of that was this year,” Williams explained. “There’s definitely a lot of room to grow and develop but I’m excited to see where the program will go after we leave.”
Williams went on to be awarded Pac-12 Women’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors at the end of the 2019 season.
