This weekend’s game is the pinnacle contest of the season for Oregon.
“This is just our most important game of the season,” sophomore midfielder Carlie Ashcraft said.
It’s the one chance every year where Oregon (6-5) and Oregon State (4-6-1) wage war: Civil War, that is. The Oregon women’s soccer team heads to Corvallis today for a 3 p.m. game.
For Ashcraft and redshirt sophomore Domenique Lainez, the game has even more importance. Neither one has been with the Ducks in a season where they defeated the Beavers.
Last year, the Ducks lost 2-1 at Papé Field and lost again in 2001, 4-1, in Corvallis. The Ducks have not won outright since their 4-0 victory in Corvallis in 1999. The teams tied in 2000 with two.
“It’s about time that we come back and kick their butts,” Lainez said. “They shouldn’t have beaten us, they’re not a better team than us at all. We’re ready to come out and prove to them we are the better team in Oregon.”
Oregon heads to Corvallis after a split weekend at Papé Field. The Ducks suffered a 1-0 loss to defending national champion Portland on Friday, which was the fifth straight loss for Oregon at the time.
Oregon managed to get its offense going again in a 3-2 comeback defeat over Weber State on Sunday. And the victory was the confidence booster the Ducks needed heading into Pacific-10 Conference play.
“We’re feeling really good going into it,” Ashcraft said. “It’s going to be a good test for us to play against a really strong team. We’re really excited. We’re starting from scratch again.”
It isn’t just the Civil War for Oregon, it is the beginning of conference play. It has become vital in the eyes of the Ducks to prove to themselves that they can win in one of the toughest conferences in soccer.
“We have a lot to prove to ourselves,” Lainez said. “We have put so much time and effort into preparing for the season. We definitely expect to see results this year.”
In 2002, the Ducks finished 1-7-1 in conference play, with the only victory coming over Arizona at home. And even though the Ducks finished just above .500 in the preseason this year, they feel this is their chance to start over.
“The kids are ready for a second season to begin,” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said.
Steffen also stressed the importance for his players to remain as focused as possible and not get too excited about it being the Civil War. But as expected, the pressure is mounting.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” Lainez said. “I’m sure when we start, it’s just going to be a battle out there. It’s going to be all emotion. It is the most important game of our season so far.”