After beginning their season with eight straight wins and possessing the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League A Division’s two biggest offensive threats, the focus remains the same for the Ducks.
“We are definitely looking forward to every game as it comes, but our goal is to finish the season ranked No. 1,” said junior goalkeeper Paul Swanson. “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t win the national championship if we continue to work hard.”
Senior and coordinator Ryan Warren couldn’t agree more.
“It’s been our goal since day one,” Warren said.
Oregon certainly stayed on track of those aspirations over the weekend. It derailed another MCLA Division A No. 1 team, this time dethroning Brigham Young University (5-2) 8-7 on Friday and then following up the performance with a 13-3 victory against Chico State (1-1) on Saturday.
Oregon, which went from No. 8 to No. 3 after clobbering former No. 1 Colorado State University 19-6 and defeating Sonoma State, then ranked fourth, 13-9 last weekend at home. BYU owned the No. 1 spot in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division A poll when they lost to the Ducks in Belmont, Calif. Oregon is still ranked first in the PNCLL A Division and is the only undefeated team in its league.
Warren netted two unassisted goals in the first five minutes of the second quarter to provide the Ducks, who lost 13-5 last year to BYU, with a lead that they would hold onto for the remainder of the contest.
Oregon established a 4-2 lead at halftime, but BYU sophomore Justin Hier ignited the third quarter with the first of his four goals. The Ducks responded expeditiously though, rattling off four consecutive goals after his score.
Having trailed by as many as five goals and facing a two-goal deficit with 28 seconds to go in the battle, Hier put through his fourth goal but the Cougars couldn’t get another score to send the match into overtime.
Warren notched a team-high three points by scoring two goals and assisting another score. Senior Julian Coffman added two goals. Swanson allowed seven goals, but made an impressive 14 saves – he said he actually didn’t play the goalkeeping position until his coach asked him to before his senior year of high school in Mercer Island, Wash.
Other than its matchup with BYU, Swanson said the squad faces better competition in practice than it has against opponents this year.
“There were times when it was really intense (against the Cougars),” said Swanson, who leads the PNCLL A Division with a .636 save percentage by making 84 saves and allowing 48 goals this season. “Every (other) team we’ve played so far has been easier than in our nightly practices at certain points. BYU was way more intense though.”
On Saturday, Oregon defeated the Chico State University Wildcats (1-2) in Chico, Calif.
Freshman Justin Blackmore was the game’s top tallier, leading all scorers with four points off three assists and one goal. Coffman notched two goals and an assist, while freshman Chad Loescher and junior Josh Schane both recorded two goals.
“That win built the team up as a whole,” said Warren. “It got everyone involved and it helped our team chemistry.”
All three of Oregon’s goalkeepers saw action in the victory. Sophomore Benjamin Harvey made three saves and didn’t allow a goal. Swanson registered five saves while allowing two goals. Freshman Benjamin Finger also received minutes and made one save and gave up one goal.
Oregon has four players who rank among the top 10 in scoring in the PNCLL A Division. Coffman averages three goals per game and 3.88 points per game for a league-best 31 points this year. Sophomore Clayton Knope has registered 30 points, good for second in the PNCLL A Division, while Warren (21 points) and Schane (19 points) stand in fourth and eighth place respectively. Knope’s 14 assists this season is best on his team and places him 7th in the league by averaging 1.75 per game.
Oregon next plays Oregon State at Lincoln High School in Portland on Thursday.
“OSU is good competition, but we’ll definitely win,” Warren said.