Oregon soccer head coach Tara Erickson last laced up her cleats no more than a decade ago as a Washington midfielder, but today she leads the Ducks into Seattle, where her squad looks for its first conference win of the season against her alma mater.
Despite the rivalry between the two schools, Erickson and her players do not look at this game as anything more than another chance at victory for Oregon (8-6-1 overall, 0-5 conference). The Oregon-Washington rivalry seems to have a reverse effect on relations between the two teams. Many of the players and coaches for both squads have shared the same sidelines and have developed friendships.
“The kids don’t put as much emphasis on this game as other people around the program do, which is a good thing,” Erickson said. “Our players aren’t putting emphasis on it. I look at it as just another game, another chance for a win and nothing more than what it is.”
Like Erickson, senior forward Nicole Garbin of Oregon also has friends at Washington. She played for the Seattle Sounders last summer alongside some of the Huskies. However, Garbin has not had a chance to play against Washington since her freshman year. Injuries sidelined her in 2002 and 2004 and she was required to sit out in 2003 because of a red card she received in a previous game. The time off has motivated her even more for today’s game.
“I made friends with a lot of them this summer in Seattle,” Garbin said. “I’m excited to play with them again. We have been working hard lately but need to play a full 90 minutes. If we did that we’d have a lot more wins.”
Today’s game marks the 10th meeting between the two schools in a series that hasn’t yet seen the Ducks defeat the Huskies. They may have their best chance to do so today considering the Huskies (0-14-3) are winless this season.
Washington’s record could easily be different if its offense became more productive. The Huskies have lost 10 games by one goal this year, and seven of those losses ended with a score of 1-0.
Oregon senior midfielder Andrea Valadez and the Ducks have taken note of Washington’s starting roster, which, like Erickson’s, features a number of
freshmen and underclassmen. As a seasoned veteran, Valadez should have little trouble playing her game against Washington. She hopes that she and her teammates can make big plays in light of the Huskies’ inexperience.
“It’s definitely a game we can win,” Valadez said. “We know a lot about them. They have a lot of inexperience right now. We can relate to them. They are starting a lot of freshmen and hopefully we can capitalize on that.”
Valadez and fellow senior Cristan Higa returned to action last weekend against Oregon State after a three-game hiatus because of an injury. Coping with injuries has been the biggest obstacle this season for the Ducks. Most recently injured was junior midfielder Kate Nelson, who plays a vital role for Oregon on defense. Nelson is still recovering from a concussion suffered against the Beavers.
Oregon concludes its road trip this weekend with a match-up against Washington State on Sunday. The Cougars have had a season similar to Oregon’s, with plenty of inconsistency. Kickoff against Washington State is scheduled for noon and action starts today against the Huskies at 7 p.m.

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