© 2013 Gary Breedlove Photography
Our Oregon Ducks finished their winter term finals and then came out to Papé field to battle the San Diego State Aztecs. After Florida snapped away their four game winning streak last weekend, Oregon wass fired up yesterday for their last home game before traveling to the east coast. This games marks the Ducks’ first against a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opponent.
The Aztecs revealed that they didn’t exchange their San Diego sun for without a reason, when their attack player Meris Walsh scored the first goal of the game. The Ducks retaliated and scored four goals within seven minutes. Oregon midfielder Haley Milner had an all time game-high of four goals in the Ducks last match against the Aztecs, and she also started yesterday’s Duck rally of the game. Both teams fought for possession and got shots on goal, bringing the score to 5-4 Ducks going into halftime.
Hayley Milner
© 2013 Gary Breedlove Photography
The Ducks lead in draw controls, 6-3, but only had one shot over San Diego State, 10-9. Thirty seconds into the second half San Diego State tied up the game with a quick shot and score. The Aztecs scored two more goals less than five minutes into the second half, causing Oregon to call a timeout. At this point in the game the coaches would be telling their players to regroup and regain possession, as there is a generous amount of time on the clock. This timeout proved advantageous for our Ducks as Hayley Milner and Sami Kiser both scored goals over a two-minute span (7-7).
In the middle of the second period the Ducks and Aztecs went goal for goal twice, bringing the score to 10-9 Aztecs. San Diego State is ranked the highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 16 goals per game. Their team is primarily made up of sophomores, due to being formed only two years ago. Our Ducks stood out against the Aztecs with young players of our own when Carly O’Connell assisted Courtney Valdez – both freshmen – to tie up the game again at 10-10.
Courtney Valdez
© 2013 Gary Breedlove Photography
© 2013 Gary Breedlove Photography
San Diego State shot a quick goal in the net and Oregon sent double teams to the ball, pressuring the Aztecs for a turnover. With two minutes left the Ducks got the ball but then lost possession that turned into scuffle for the ground ball. With fouls on both sides the referees did a free throw that went in the Aztecs favor and resulted in another goal. The time ran out and Oregon was not able to get another goal in the net, ending the game with a 12-10 win for San Diego State.
This ended Oregon’s seven game home stay with a 4-3 record. The Ducks will be traveling to New York to play Marist at 11 a.m. (PT) on Sunday.
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Lauren grew up a small beach town in northern San Diego, California. She played and coached lacrosse and field hockey for six years. Now she is an involved and proud student at the University of Oregon studying Journalism and Spanish. In her freshman year she played on the Oregon Women’s Club Lacrosse team, taking the team all the way to nationals in Colorado Springs.