Just six weeks ago, redshirt freshman forward Andrea Valadez scored her first career goal as a Duck. She came off the bench in the game against Pacific and scored a game-winning goal in the 76th minute to give Oregon the 2-1 win.
Now, Valadez leads Oregon in goals after recording three this weekend in Oregon’s final road trip. The Torrance, Calif., native scored two on Friday against Arizona State and one against Arizona on Sunday, giving her seven on the season and surpassing redshirt sophomore Nicole Garbin’s tally of five.
“I’m incredibly excited for (Valadez),” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. “She’s starting to pick and choose her moments well. She believes in herself, and she’s a very hard worker.”
Valadez’s recent path to success has been far from glamorous. She was forced to stay on the sideline last year after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. Other past injuries include — dating back to her prep days — tearing the ACL in her other knee, a bulging disc in her back and ligament damage to her ankle.
“She overcomes amazing obstacles,” Steffen said. “For her to be able to come back and have this kind of weekend, it’s pleasing.”
Valadez’s performance this weekend places her seventh all-time among Oregon’s career leaders. That mark comes after playing in just 16 games, whereas everyone above her on the list has played in more than 30 games.
In her prep days at Bishop Montgomery High, Valadez was a first-team all-league pick her senior year and was voted the team’s Offensive Player of the Year. At Oregon, Valadez is studying biology and hopes to become a pediatrician one day, according to Steffen.
“She’s very focused,” Steffen said. “She has plans and aspirations, and she’s very clear on that. She’s going to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.”
Valadez was unavailable for comment Monday.
In the future, Steffen expects Valadez to be the type of player that others look to because of her on-the-field actions and her off-the-field drive. Valadez is expected to start both games this weekend against USC and UCLA.

Making history
It was talked about. It was speculated on. It was nearly a given.
It finally happened on Sunday when the Ducks shut out Arizona on the road, 1-0, to give them their ninth win of the season and the best record in program history. The former record was held by the 2001 team that finished 8-8-2 overall.
But right now it means nothing. When the team celebrated on Sunday, it was more focused on winning its games this weekend and advancing to the NCAA tournament than on earning win No. 9, Steffen said.
“This team understands that. There’s no real emphasis on that now because there is more we can do.”
Steffen told his team in August that they would win more games than any other team in program history. Well, his prediction was correct.

A pressure-filled finish
Oregon knows that it must win both games this weekend against the Los Angeles schools to be assured a bid in the NCAA tournament. For a program that has never made it to the postseason and a team that is expected to be the best ever, that adds a little pressure.
“They are going to be the two toughest games of the season, but I think sometimes our team loves pressure, and we’re good under pressure,” Valadez said Sunday. “Especially for Lindsey (Werdell), this being the last two home games for her, it will give us something to play for. I think we have a great chance of taking these two teams, putting them away and making it to the tournament.”