University of Oregon
California
Soccer Claims First Win vs. Cal in School History
10/25/03 | Women's Soccer
EUGENE - The University of Oregon women's soccer team notched its first victory in school history over California, 2-0, Sunday at home at Pape' Field and raised its record to a record-tying 8-8 on the season overall and 2-3 in Pac-10 play.
Oregon got on the board for the first time this season in the opening 30 minutes, thanks to a header by sophomore forward Mele French from 5 yards left, and set up by a 24-yard indirect kick by sophomore forward Nicole Garbin from the right side.
"We've been trying to get a goal early (all season), and I was trying my best to step up and capitalize" French said. "We knew coming in this was an important game, and we needed a score early. A win here would help us towards having a chance to get into the NCAA tournament."
The Ducks added an insurance goal at 82:25 when Garbin sent a 30-yard vertical aerial along the right flank. As the pass developed, freshman forward Andrea Valadez waited parallel with the last Cal defender just across midfield before exploding up the right side to meet the ball and then dribble leftwards into the center box area. The Torrance, Calif., native then lined a 14-yard low drive from right to left on a full-speed, slightly diagonal run as the Golden Bear keeper charged out late.
"I was watching my defender the whole time and just shadowed her until the last second," Valadez said," then it was full speed ahead. The keeper didn't come out early so I did the best I could to keep my defender on my back, manage the ball, and still be ready to push it through."
At game's end, Oregon featured seven different players with shots, and was led in shots by Garbin (7) and shots on goal by Valdez (2).
In goal for Oregon, redshirt sophomore Domenique Lainez claimed her second shutout of the season and her career, and hauled in seven saves - her third-highest tally of the season after pulling in 15 against then-No. 6 Texas A&M and eight against Washington State last weekend.
"It was a battle out there, and our goals came off great individual efforts," Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. "Mele executed a set play brilliantly, and Andrea showed great instincts and patience in her positioning, and then capitalized on a tough chance. Dom also stepped up and had a great game and helped fuel the team's confidence level. We had a great collective all-around effort so it's hard to just single them out - the whole team stepped out and really coordinated play together well on both ends of the field."
California (7-6-3, 2-4-0), an NCAA tournament qualifier the past five seasons, was led in shots by forward Katie Ratican and defender Nadia Al-Lami (3), and shots on goal by Ratican (2). In goal, freshman keeper Anna Key had three saves. The Golden Bears entered this week unranked for the first time since 1999 after a pair of 1-0 losses at home to the top-20-ranked LA schools last weekend, and owned a season-high ranking of 10th earlier this fall.
In the final team comparisons, Oregon held advantages in shots (16-14), saves (7-4) and fouls (17-15), was tied in corner kicks (4-4) and California led in shots on goal (7-5).
"California is a very good club with several wins this year against top-20 non-conference teams," Steffen said. "We told them coming in we needed to take every minute one at a time and keep the level up for all 90, and they did. After we scored early, Cal stepped up their play, and I'm happy that we responded. The game had an NCAA Tournament level of play, emotion and commitment from both teams, and I'm happy that our players were rewarded for their composure. Today was also great because we have had a tendency to play better on Fridays, then have less in the tank on the following Sunday games. I think that shows we're getting stronger and more confident, individually and as a team."
The physical game saw one yellow card when Duck forward Nicole Garbin was whistled for knocking the ball out of the goalkeeper's grasp with her own hands after the play had been whistled dead at 66:59.
Oregon's two goals Sunday bettered its combined total in its previous six losses to Cal after being shutout in five of those games - at home in 1997 (1_0), 1999 (1_0) and 2001 (3_0), and on the road in 2000 (4_0) and 2002 (2_0). Oregon's lone previous goal vs. Cal came in 1998 on the road in a 2-1 overtime loss.
The Ducks took a noticeable step towards earning its first NCAA Tournament bid, although the squad will need at least two more wins in its final four games - at the Arizona schools and at home vs. the LA schools - with three of the squads NCAA qualifiers each of the past two seasons (Arizona State UCLA, USC).
Sunday's win also gave Oregon it a record-tying eighth victory of the season, matching its 8-8-2 mark in 2001. The Ducks are also one win shy of matching its all-time best Pac-10 win total after going 3-5-1 in 1999 and 3-6-0 in 1998.
Looking ahead, the Ducks travel to No. 18 Arizona State, Friday, Oct. 31, and Arizona, Sunday, Sunday, Nov. 2. The Sun Devils will be the ninth opponent this year that have made NCAA Tournament trips at least once the past two years, with two more to come the following week at home vs. and No. 19 USC and No. 3 UCLA (11/9).
BOXSCORE
Oregon 2, California 0, Oct. 26 at Pape' Field, Eugene. Scoring: UO-Mele French at 10:08 (Nicole Garbin); UO-Andrea Valadez at 82:25 (Garbin). Shots: UO-16 (Garbin 7), CAL-14 (Katie Ratican, Nadia Al-Lami 3). Shots on Goal: UO-5 (Valdez 2), CAL-7 (Ratican 2). Saves: UO-7 (Domenique Lainez), CAL-3 (Anna Key 3). Corner Kicks: UO-4, CAL-4. Fouls: UO-17, CAL-15. A: 456. Conditions: 66 degrees, 5 mph west, clear, sunny.
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