EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon Women’s Soccer (2-2-1) entered the match against the New Mexico Lobos (2-0-2) having yet to concede a goal at home this season. However, the streak ended Thursday as the Ducks recorded their home loss of the season, dropping the match 1-0.
Oregon sixth-year goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein had to make a couple of early saves, as the Lobos applied offensive pressure in the opening minutes of the game.
"I think we were a little bit like, shocked in the beginning, in the first, middle, 10-15, in the first half, where we were adjusting to their numbers coming forward, but I think we showed up in the way that I would want us to show up," Oregon head coach Tracy Joyner said. "And they battled."
The Ducks were able to get offensive momentum of their own with a wide shot coming off the boot of sophomore Abella Hunter in the eighth minute.
"Hunter's so good off the dribble. She was really dynamic for us," Joyner said. "We got big expectations for her. She knows that."
In the 22nd minute, redshirt-senior Jayde Holley took a strike for the Ducks that landed just wide off the top of the net.
Oregon’s best look at putting it in the back of the net came in the 37th minute, when sophomore Cloe Chase took a header off a corner from sophomore Carly Cormack, but it was just short of crossing the line after a review with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Hunter took a shot from downtown in the 39th minute, but it was saved by New Mexico’s goalkeeper Jasmin Gonzalez-Rutt.
The Ducks kicked off the second half with a shot from sixth-year forward Taylor Bryan in the 51st minute that landed just above the top of the crossbar.
In the 57th minute, Nicole Anderson shot to the right of the goal for New Mexico. Another shot on goal from the Lobos came in the 60th minute, when Savannah Sanchez’s shot was saved by Goldstein.
The Lobos continued their offensive second-half dominance, with another shot on goal from deep in the 66th minute, coming off the boot of Celina Frenz, before Goldstein stopped the ball in its tracks.
New Mexico finally broke through Oregon’s backline in the 68th minute with Alejandra Puerto tapping it into the back of the net, assisted by Savanah Sanchez and Fiona Jenkins, to make it a 1-0 Lobos lead.
Cormack put the offense back on the map for the Ducks with a shot in the bottom center of the goal in the 77th minute, but it was blocked by Gonzalez-Rutt.
The Ducks' final offensive push concluded with a shot off the boot of Hunter in the 82nd minute, but it curved just left of the goalpost.
“We fought until the end,” Joyner said. “We created some of our best chances in the last 10 minutes.”
Oregon will look to rebound against Grand Canyon University (2-1-0) on Aug. 31st at Papé Field.