In order to make history this season, the Oregon women’s soccer team may need to repeat history.
As they head into the second half of their Pacific-10 Conference schedule beginning with UCLA at 3 p.m. today, the Ducks will most likely need to reach at least .500 in conference play to earn their first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament. Currently, Oregon is 1-3 in the conference, 7-5 overall. That means the Ducks will need three or four wins in their remaining five games to comfortably make the NCAAs.
This is where repeating history comes in. The Ducks will face UCLA and Southern California this weekend, and, if history repeats itself, Oregon could knock off both California schools.
Two years ago, Oregon upset then-No. 20 UCLA at Papé Field in perhaps the biggest win in program history.
“We know that it’s possible to win the game,” Oregon senior forward Chalise Baysa said. “It’s just whoever shows up to play.”
UCLA has showed up to play this season, after a Cinderella run to last season’s NCAA Championship game, where it lost to North Carolina, 2-1. The Bruins have dominated their opponents this season and were undefeated until a loss to No. 2 Santa Clara last week.

The immediate history of Oregon and UCLA includes the Ducks’ miracle win two years ago, but it also includes the Bruins’ revenge last season. On Oct. 15 of last year, Oregon traveled to Los Angeles and was humiliated by UCLA, 8-0.
“We were bitter at ourselves for that loss,” Oregon senior Annie Murphy said. “We want to prove ourselves this year.”
USC will provide a different sort of challenge for Oregon. The Trojans are 7-4 this season, and their only loss in Pac-10 play was to UCLA. But USC has looked beatable this season, especially in a 1-0 loss to San Diego, a team that Oregon defeated 3-0 earlier this season at Papé Field.
Baysa said the Ducks will look to beat USC the same way they beat San Diego: with a consistent effort from opening whistle to final horn.
“We’ve got to come out ready to play,” Baysa said. “We’ve got to be consistent.”
If there is emotion on the field this weekend, it will be all on the Ducks’ side. A large group of Oregon seniors will play the final home games of their careers against USC and UCLA.
“It’s pretty emotional,” Baysa said. “It’s our last chance to play on this field together.”
The graduating class includes five regular starters in Baysa, Murphy, midfielder Beth Bowler, midfielder and defender Starr Johnson and defender Angela Romero, and forward Crystal David could start if she wasn’t consistently injured.
Murphy, however, tore the medial collateral ligament in her right knee after scoring the game-winning goal against Arizona State last weekend and will not play this weekend.
Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said he will honor the graduating seniors with a ceremony and will focus on the six players all weekend.
“It’s important for (the young players) to reward the seniors with positive results,” Steffen said.
The Ducks will search for those positive results against UCLA at 3 p.m. Friday and against USC at noon Sunday.