For the past seven years, Oregon’s season has ended no later than Nov. 11. The first two weeks of November have always marked the end of regular season play.
This year, the women’s soccer team’s regular season ends Nov. 9 against UCLA. After that, the first round of the NCAA tournament takes place Nov. 14-16 and ends with the championship game on Dec. 7.
Oregon (8-8 overall, 2-3 Pac-10) desperately wants to play on Nov. 14. It would mark the first time in program history that Oregon would compete in postseason play.
“Right now we look at the (NCAA) tournament as it’s going to be difficult, but it’s still doable,” head coach Bill Steffen said. “And for us to say the tournament is still doable at this point in the season is a good thing.”
The younger Duck generation feels as if it owes the postseason to the veterans.
“For our two seniors, especially Lindsey Werdell, she’s been here for four years, and she’s never been to the tournament,” redshirt sophomore Nicole Garbin said. “That’s one of our goals to get her there.”
No specific criteria could make or break Oregon’s attempt at the postseason, Steffen said. The NCAA offers 32 automatic bids and the decision process includes how teams have competed against former tournament veterans.
Oregon has four games left against the Arizona and Los Angeles schools. Arizona State, UCLA and USC have been NCAA qualifiers each of the past two seasons.
If Oregon wins two of the next four, then “it’s questionable,” Steffen said. If Oregon wins three of the next four, “we’re in,” he added.
“To an extent, we control our own fate, but it’s going to be difficult,” Steffen said.

Is this the best team in Oregon’s history?
Many coaches and players will say records and statistics don’t reflect the true performance of a team. That is, unless the team is winning.
With the 2-0 win over Cal on Sunday, the Ducks garnered their eighth win and tied the best record in program history — an 8-8-2 finish in 2001. Oregon is 2-3 in Pacific-10 Conference play.
“The very first thing I said to them in August was that this team will win more games than any team in program history,” Steffen said. “So far they’ve equaled it, and now they’ve got one more to go. It’s a great testimony to their efforts and their abilities.”
One more win would statistically make this year’s team look like the best in history. Another conference win would match the all-time best Pac-10 total after finishing 3-5-1 in 1999 and 3-6 in 1998.
The Ducks are confident that they will make history in the next two weeks.
“Yeah, we’re going to pass it,” sophomore forward Mele French said.

Changing it up
Oregon has been all about trying new things this season. In 16 games played, Steffen has put 12 different starting lineups on the field.
The Ducks continue to show their depth by constantly rotating in fresh players. Friday’s game against Stanford marked the sixth time this year that at least 18 or more Ducks took the field in one game.
Oregon has stayed true to its regular starting seven. That group includes goalkeeper Domenique Lainez, defenders Christine Mintz and Carlie Ashcraft, midfielders Cristan Higa and Werdell and forwards Garbin and French.

Holding her own
Mintz, a junior, currently holds the longest starting streak for the Ducks at 34 games. The Vashon Island, Wash., native’s streak extends through the beginning of the 2002 season, when she started every game.
The Bellarmine Prep graduate played her first season for Oregon in 2002 after transferring from UConn. She played in 17 games for the Huskies, who advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2001.