By Levi Bergthold
EUGENE, OR -- Oregon Soccer (4-5-4) travels to Pullman to face off against conference rival Washington State University (8-3-2) on Friday at 7 PM. After an impressive 2-0 win against the then-16th ranked Washington Huskies, the Ducks have gone 1-3 in their last four matches, with the sole victory coming at the expense of Utah. It has been a tumultuous stretch for the Ducks, as star goalkeeper Leah Freeman received a red card in the first half against #1 UCLA, a 1-3 loss, and missed the ensuing loss to #8 USC, a 0-4 loss. With 6 matches remaining in the season, Oregon will attempt to steady the ship, and try to make the programs first post-season NCAA tournament.
Offensive Woes Continue
The Oregon offense has been a sore spot throughout the season, having scored only fourteen goals through fourteen matches. The Ducks have not scored more than two yet and have been shut out twice. This is due in part to the rash of injuries that the Ducks have suffered through, but slowly the program has gotten healthier. Freshman Ajanae Respass leads the team in goals with four, followed by Seniors Lexi Romero and Jordan Snyder, both with two. 5th year Midfielder Zoe Hasenauer continues her march on the record books, as she is tied for the university record with 18 career assists and will break the university record for career starts with her 85th start against the Cougars. Head coach Graeme Abel’s squad will need to find the back of the Cougar’s net with more consistency than they’ve shown throughout the year.
Strength of the Defense
The Ducks path to victory remains clear: to rely on Goalkeeper Leah Freeman and their backline to turn away the other team’s offense. Freeman continues to shine as one of the better Goalkeepers in the nation, nationally ranking 13th in saves per game (6.42), and 14th in total saves (77). When everything goes according to plan, Oregon combines a suffocating defensive effort to force bad shots, with key offensive outbursts to win low scoring matches. Freeman recorded her 18th career shutout in the victory versus Utah, which broke the University of Oregon record that was previously held by Abby Steele. Similar performances will be key as the Ducks make a final postseason push.
Washington State Preview
The Cougars have also struggled of late, entering the weekend on a two-game losing streak, courtesy of Stanford and California, both by a margin of 2-1. However, prior to that, they rode an 8-0-1 win streak. Their leading goal scorer is Junior Margie Detrizio with 7, followed by Senior Grayson Lynch with 4. Sophomore Nadia Cooper is in goal for the Cougars; she’s allowed just 13 goals through 13 games, with a 0.683 save percentage (28 total). Washington State is a well-balanced team that can win in multiple ways.
Final Overview
Despite recent struggles, the Oregon Ducks still rank 41st in RPI (Ratings Power Index). The program has played the nation’s third hardest schedule, per RPI, which reflects in the win-loss record. Washington State ranks 34th and sit at 5th in the PAC-12. The Cougars represent a tall task, but the Ducks need to find a way to win to keep their postseason hopes alive.