Haley Cummins, in the Oregon black uniform, stood at the center of the circle, ready to take the opening draw — the same as always.
Yet regardless of the score in Wednesday’s 19-12 loss to fifth-seeded Arizona State , the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament was always going to be different.
Before Wednesday, a loss didn’t mean the Ducks’ history as a Pac-12 lacrosse team might be over.
Before Wednesday, a loss didn’t mean Oregon might have to reimagine its roster.
“I’m already thinking about how to make this team better, and this next generation and what we can do,” head coach Jessica Drummond said a few weeks ago.
Before Wednesday, one missed shot, one missed assignment, one bad pass — all didn’t mean the end only crept closer. Before Wednesday, it wasn’t survive and advance.
An hour after that opening draw, with just 30 minutes left to mount a comeback, the Ducks (8-7, 2-6 Pac-12) were down seven at the half and met at an inflection point.
Stand or fall. Resist or crumble. Lead or lose.
Survive to continue their playoff dance in Los Angeles, or wither and wilt back to Eugene.
Arizona State’s (8-9, 3-4 Pac-12) strong play chose the latter for the Ducks, who couldn’t dig out of the early hole. Oregon entered less than two weeks removed from a 20-12 victory over these same Sun Devils, and — although ranked a spot below them in the Pac-12 Tournament seeding — was largely expected to win again.
The upset loss ends their season, and the careers of 11 Oregon seniors.
Recently selected as the Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, Morgan McCarthy tallied just a lone goal in her final collegiate game. It was an unremarkable send-off for a player that was anything but.
Truthfully, the fourth-seeded Ducks’ postseason chances never got a chance to take flight. ASU started the game firing on all cylinders, and never even came close to letting up. The Sun Devils’ win was only punctuated by a ferocious defense that forced eight turnovers on the day.
Over two hours after the opening face-off, the Ducks had been outworked, outlasted and downright beaten by an ASU team that was dominant from the get-go. The Sun Devils’ triumphant win was set with a scene that epitomized the night.
With just over five minutes to go, there was an exhausted Alyssa Wright, tripping down the lane and turning the ball over. The fifth-year attacker lay on the field for a moment all while ASU’s bench screamed with glee.
The reward for their complete game of near perfection? The Sun Devils will take on No. 1 seeded Stanford in less than 24 hours.
ASU’s auspicious start proved to set the tone for the remainder of the game. The Sun Devils led by four at the end of the first quarter and seven at the half. Cummins (three goals) and Anna Simmons (two assists) were the Ducks’ biggest contributors, but ultimately weren’t close to being enough.
To build that early advantage, ASU began the game with unmatched intensity. Bella Ingrao and Shannon Urey kept the pressure on the Ducks throughout. They scored early, late and often, to make sure there would be no late-game suspense. ASU’s tenacity, which dipped two weeks ago in Eugene, never evaded the Sun Devils on Wednesday as they never trailed.
Mina Scott and Zoe Mazur, the two reigning Pac-12 Players of the Week, both delivered as advertised. Urey (four goals) kept Oregon’s defense off-balance with feathery passes and slick shots.
Scott added the first two goals of the second half to make the lead nine as Oregon missed assignments, switches and any sort of playoff tenacity.
Things were about to get worse for a team that bid farewell to a conference and an era.
If the playoffs are deemed to be like a novel — each game a new chapter that builds on the last one — the Ducks’ playoff story remains a draft, sullied by an upset loss they didn’t anticipate.. Oregon committed a whopping 18 more fouls than their opponents and forced just three turnovers.
The slow start compounded with Oregon’s season-long trend of lethargic second halves proved to be a fatal combination. The Ducks mustered just five goals through the first three quarters and were vexed by ASU’s adjustments and counters.
Ultimately, this season — Drummond’s first at the helm — will be viewed as a success as the Ducks finished above .500 for the first time since 2017. Still, the deflating loss leaves the Ducks returning to Eugene with more questions than answers.
Stories have endings. The Ducks — with a win over ASU two weeks ago — delayed theirs. But Wednesday night, the book on this season slammed shut as the Sun Devils handed an extended offseason to the green and yellow.
