There’s no better way to start out the season than recording a win — just ask Oregon women’s soccer.

The Ducks defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs 5-0 on Thursday night in Eugene. A mixture of lockdown defense and potent offense did the job for the Ducks as they dominated from whistle to whistle.

The Ducks flew into opening night with momentum, coming off a respectable 2020 campaign. They posted a 6-5-5 record. It may not jump off the screen, but it marked their best since 2006. This season, they’re set to return all 11 of their starters as well.

The Bulldogs were coming off an impressive 2020 as well, going 6-3-1 on the season. However, they were simply outmatched.

But it wasn’t all fireworks for the Ducks. A slow start and a plethora of penalties made it tough on them early. Just 10 minutes into the game, they had already accumulated a handball, a foul and a pair of offsides calls.

Their fortune would begin to change at the 13:49 mark, when Fresno State’s midfielder Lorena Montanes recorded her second foul of the game. This allowed the Ducks to slow down and strategize, and it worked.

Just 35 seconds later, Mia Palmer found the back of the net off a perfect pass from Chai Cortez.

Palmer is one of four players on the team taking advantage of their fifth year of eligibility. She has been a staple on the Ducks back line, starting 54 of her 55 games there since joining the team.

Oregon had a chance to make it 2-0 just minutes later, but Bulldogs goalie Valentina Vivas held the line, keeping the Ducks’ lead locked at one.

But it was only temporary.

Just minutes later, the Ducks cashed in once again. Zoe Hasenauer found Ally Cook cutting to the center of the goal and in one motion, Cook slid and chipped the ball with her right foot into the back of the net. Just 22 minutes into the game, Oregon led 2-0.

Cook tied for first and ranked 10th nationally with four game-winning goals last year. She was also the team leader in goals, points and shots in 2020.

The Ducks defense seemed to be everywhere all night long, disrupting passes and constantly putting pressure on the Bulldogs. Around the 30-minute mark, they forced back-to-back throw-ins on two ugly Bulldog possessions.

Oregon capitalized on the second throw-in, and Cook found the net for the second time in 10 minutes. In the 31st minute, Cortez found her wide open in front of the goal, and Cook sent a rocket to the bottom left that Vivas had no chance of stopping. Oregon now led 3-0.

Cook also had two goals in Oregon’s exhibition win against Corban last week. She’s in store for another big year in the green and yellow.

Just three minutes before halftime, the Bulldogs recorded their first shot on goal. The kick was right at Oregon goalie Leah Freeman.

The Ducks went into halftime with a commanding lead of 3-0. The Bulldogs mustered only one shot on goal and three fouls — a ratio no team wants to see. They threw in the white flag during the break by pulling their goalie Vivas.

Oregon kept its first half momentum going into the second. In the 53rd minute, Eden Hardy got into the act with a rocket into the left side of the net. With that, the Ducks went up 4-0.

With about 20 minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs started to pile up the substitutions, including their third goalkeeper of the game.

In return, the Ducks did the same thing, significantly slowing down the pace of the game.

Despite the influx of subs, Oregon’s defense stood its ground. They allowed just two shots on goal all night and kept the ball away from their side of the field for a majority of the game.

The substitutions allowed some freshmen to get their feet wet. At the 80-minute mark, true freshman Lara Kirkby found fellow true freshman Kaitlyn Paculba wide open on the far side of the net. Paculba impressively brought the pass down and tapped it in with her right foot, just beyond the outstretched arm of the goaltender, growing the advantage to 5-0.

This score held until the final whistle, giving Oregon an emphatic win.

After last year’s historic implications and tonight’s onslaught against a pesky Bulldog team, this year could be one to remember for the women’s soccer team.

For now, however, they are 1-0. They’ll be back in action on Sunday, Aug. 22, against the San Francisco Dons. The game is set to kick off at 1 p.m. at Papé Field in Eugene.