Soccer

It’s the beginning of a new era for Oregon women’s soccer as the team begins its 2002 season.
Looking toward the future, the Ducks have a lot to build on as 13 newcomers enter the roster this year, including 11 freshmen, one sophomore and one junior walk-on.
But for the time being, Oregon has had a rough start. Winless in their first four games, the Ducks were able to notch an exhibition victory against South Florida in late August.
“We have had ups and downs and showed our youth,” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said.
Steffen, in his seventh season with Oregon, will have his work cut out for him. The Ducks have already faced three top-25 ranked teams in their first four games, and Steffen will coach the team against seven more current top-25 opponents later this season.
“It teaches the (players) what top-25 soccer is all about,” Steffen said of the schedule. “We expect to eventually play top-25 soccer.”
Oregon finished tied for seventh in the Pacific-10 Conference last season. Steffen said he is confident the Ducks will have a better finish this year if the team can play more consistently and more unified.
“We haven’t reached our potential yet,” Steffen said. “And it is frustrating to not play like we know we can, because you want to be great everyday.”
Ultimately, the Ducks’ youth will “give people opportunities to step up,” and could propel the Ducks ahead in a conference that Steffen describes as so competitive that any team can win on any given day.
But first, Oregon must work to recover from some huge losses.
Sophomore forward Nicole Garbin, one of the Ducks’ top-five scorers in 2001, and freshman forward Andrea Valadez will be out for the season with knee injuries. Backup keeper Domenique Lainez will also be out for at least three weeks with a serious right ankle sprain.
Despite the young season, the Ducks have seen improvements. Against Utah, which was ranked No. 23, Oregon was able to muster a tie.
“(We) got better and better as the game went on,” Steffen said. “We are going to get better as long as we keep pushing each other.”