The Oregon women’s soccer team comes home this weekend to close out the regular season and put themselves in a position to clinch a national tournament bid.
Oregon (10-6-2 overall, 4-1-2 Pacific-10 Conference) faces No. 3 UCLA (16-2-0, 7-0-0) tonight, and USC (9-3-5, 2-4) Sunday afternoon.
But regardless of what happens this weekend, the Ducks can already consider the program’s 10th season its best one to date.
Oregon’s success is due largely to second-year head coach Tara Erickson’s formulation of a well-rounded lineup that can threaten from anywhere on the field.
The Sweeney-Newton connection
Thanks to the efforts of sophomore Allison Newton and freshman Danielle Sweeney, Oregon’s left flank has been especially dangerous this year.
Together, Newton and Sweeney have combined to produce four goals, six assists and 27 shots.
Newton entered this season on the momentum of a solid freshman year in which she started all 19 games at left back and established herself as an integral piece of Oregon’s defensive line.
In her biography in this year’s media guide, Newton is described as “perhaps the team’s most consistent defender who can almost always be counted on to be in the right place on the field.”
But 18 games into the season, Newton is no longer a standout in the backfield alone. With four goals and three assists to her name, the Churchill High School alumna known to her teammates as “Newtie” has become the team’s second-most dangerous offensive weapon.
Newton’s transformation from defensive dynamo to midfield maestro was made possible only with the addition of Sweeney, a former Olympic Development Program regional-team member.
Sweeney originally came to the Ducks as a midfielder, but her versatility on the field and profound understanding of the mental side of soccer resulted in a permanent transfer to the Ducks’ backfield.
“A lot of the freshman who came in were really talented,” Newton said. “The coaches wanted to find a way to include Sweeney in the lineup, and Tara wanted to find one of us to play outside and one back because we have similar styles of play.”
While trying to figure out the best configuration for her lineup, Erickson slotted Newton into the left outside midfield spot and moved Sweeney back to Newton’s old position at left back.
It worked perfectly.
As the season progressed, Newton thrived in her new role as part of the Ducks’ attack, while Sweeney rapidly gained a reputation as an unflappable defender with a deep cerebral understanding of the game.
“We have really similar styles of play,” Newton said. “Both of us do a lot of running, we both have an attacking mindset and pretty good endurance.
And we read each other really well. She overlaps with me, I kind of feed off her, we do a lot of give-and-gos, and we’ve got great combinations together.”
Some of that communication stems from the way both players have had experience at each other’s positions.
“Newtie played left back last year, and I’ve played mid, so it’s kind of like we can both play the same spots. We can both get in and get crosses, but we both also know how to stay back and defend,” Sweeney said.
Fitting the pieces together
Both players were good in their old positions, but in hindsight, they agree that there was always a tangible irregularity keeping them from reaching the point of mastery.
Sweeney thinks she lacked the requisite hunger that all attacking players should possess.
“I played defense when I was little, so I’ve always been more of a defensive minded player,” Sweeney said. “When I was in the midfield, if I had a shot on goal, I would more likely pass it to someone else than take the shot myself.”
On the other hand, Newton, who played midfield in high school, said she felt a little restrained at left back last year.
“My style’s always been a little more attacking,” Newton said. “Last year at left back, I was always really eager to go up and get involved in the offense. I feel like I can contribute more (at left midfield) because I can support (Nicole) Garbin and our forwards better.”
Now, Newton focuses her energies on building the attack, and Sweeney’s primary obligation is to play defense.
“Sweeney is incredibly composed and patient as a defender,” Newton said. “I feel like I can rely on her a lot in the back. She’s a very strong player, and she always seems to have things under control, she never gets stressed and is really calm. That’s always nice to have behind you.”
Sweeney’s midfield roots form an integral part of her unique defensive style. The 5-foot-3 California native has three assists to her name this year. With her relentless persistence she’s omnipresent on defense, but whenever the offense loses the ball deep in opponent’s territory, Sweeney usually appears in the midfield to re-possess it.
“Sweeney’s got a little motor, she can just go and go forever,” Erickson said. “She relies a lot on her tactical understanding. Her dad’s a football coach, and that probably helped with her understanding of concepts, just by nature of being around a coach a lot.”
Newton possesses a different sort of speed – the blazing kind that burns defenders and turns one-on-one match-ups into breakaways.
“Newtie’s just really fast. I’d say she’s even faster than Sweeney,” Erickson said. “She can take people on and attack one-on-one, and she serves a really good left ball for not being a naturally left-footed player.”
Looking ahead
If the Sweeney-Newton connection gets going this weekend, the Ducks stand a chance of extending their miracle season into postseason play, and guaranteeing that Senior Day on Sunday will not be the last time prolific senior striker Nicole Garbin walks onto a soccer pitch in an Oregon uniform.
“We were talking about that this week, about how this weekend will be Garbin’s last home game ever. After six years. You could tell (Garbin) was a little emotional, and it’s definitely hard for her,” Newton said. “But I think she’s also really pumped up. We all are. We all knew it’d come down to these last two games being really important.”
Newton says the Ducks are undaunted by the prospect of facing No. 3 UCLA tonight.
“Right now, I think we have a chance against anyone. Especially at home, and especially during a night game. We seem to bring a lot of energy to night games. I think it’s going to be a good game.”
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