University of Oregon
UCLA
Soccer Pushes #2 UCLA to Overtime Before Falling, 3-2
11/09/03 | Women's Soccer
EUGENE - The University of Oregon women's soccer team said goodbye to three seniors Sunday with a valiant effort against NCAA veteran and No. 2 UCLA and pushed them to overtime before falling 3-2 in the second extra period.
UCLA got on the board first at 39:49 when Whitney Jones scored on a header from four yards out next to the right post. The play was set up on a 20-yard diagonal, cross-field pass from Nandi Price that off a short reverse pass on the left edge of the box from Katherine Bjazevich.
Oregon tied matters at 44:05 on Garbin's first of two goals. The play was set up by a UCLA foul on the right side of the UO front field, and the free kick by Duck sophomore Carlie Ashcraft traveled 20 yards from the right to left side of the box. Garbin collected the pass on the run at the center of the box eight yards. With a Bruin defender blocking the right angle, she heeled it mid-run back to her left (almost like a backhand) into the left edge of the net as starting keeper Emily Zaplatosch charged straight out.
The second half resembled the first half as ball possession and play continued fairly equal for both teams. UCLA went ahead again at 81:30 when sophomore Iris Mora took advantage of a Duck defensive breakdown on an unexpected run just before midfield. The play started on a forward pass from Jones ahead to Bristyn Davis who lined it straight up the central right midfield to a charging Mora, who then looped it 32 yards diagonally from the right center over the Duck goalkeeper who had charged out 20 yards to stop the angle.
To their credit, the Ducks continued to press on both sides of the field, and their effort was rewarded with just over a minute left in regulation when senior defender Dara Wone sent a pass forward on the left front third of the field to Andrea Valadez who tried to collect on the left edge of the box but was unable to completely control the ball, which continued forward on the ground to the left goal box edge as Garbin crossed paths, then quickly turned and fired from five yards away into the net at 88:55
"The second goal wasn't a planned play," Garbin said, "I was just responding to the ball. When it went through Andrea the UCLA defender wasn't ready for it, and it created an opening. I just turned and fired when I got to it, and didn't even look at the goal - all I had to figure out where I were at was the field lines and the sense of where others were. On the first goal, one of our plays is that whenever we're in that situation, Carlie look for me and see if I can take advantage of a one-on-one, and she made a great pass."
Forced into overtime, the Ducks and Bruins continued to press on both sides of the field, with UCLA missing the first near-goal chance from 7 yards right by Stacy Lindstrom who sailed the attempt over the left edge of the box at 91:38. Oregon then had its best chance on a two-on-two, synchronized give-and-go between forwards Andrea Valadez and Mele French nearly the length of the left offensive half of the field with three touches by each. Valadez missed on the scoring chance 11 yards center on a full run, and a step ahead of her defender, when her attempt sailed high center over the goal early in the 98th minute
UCLA ended the game when Mora capitalized with less than six minutes left in the second overtime period at 103:43 on a seven-yard header from the right post, on an 18-yard left-right, cross-field pass from teammate Sarah-Gayle Swanson.
For Oregon, Garbin led in shots (4) and shots on goal (4), and sophomore goalkeeper Domenique Lainez ended with seven saves.
"The team expects me to score, and I did my best to be ready to finish whatever they could create today," Garbin said. "We kept focus and kept working hard the whole way. It's just unfortunate we didn't get the win. The polls and media said they were ranked second in the nation but they were like any other team today, and we showed that, and for that reason it's frustrating not to get a win."
Team-wise, UCLA held advantages in shots (21-9), shots on goal (10-5), corner kicks (9-1), offsides (4-1) and fouls (18-13), and Oregon held edges in saves (7-3).
"I thought we did a good game not letting them getting behind us, and we did just as good or maybe better job of that than them," Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. ?After the game, I told the players to look at the growth of the team - we're this close to being a great team, and we are getting closer and closer every game. I feel very badly for them because they deserved to win. If we had been a mile away from them, then we'd be ecstatic just to force overtime, but we were so close so that it's not enough. Individually, Nicole stepped up with several great looks, and I thought Dara and Andrea also played well."
UCLA was led in shots (4) and shots on goal (3) by Mora, and starting keeper Emily Zaplatosch claimed all three of the team's saves in her first half of duty, before being relieved in the second half and overtime by Arianna Criscione.
The win kept UCLA unbeaten in Pac-10 play (16-1-3, 8-0-1), while Oregon ended 9-11 overall and 3-6 in Pac-10 play - both all-time program bests for overall and conference wins in a season. The loss was the second in the last two weeks to an NCAA veteran by only goal (also a 3-2 loss at Arizona State last week).
Offensively for Oregon, Garbin scored two goals for the third time in her career - including a 3-1 win at Sacramento State two months ago and as a freshman in 2001 against San Jose State (5-2 win). Season-wise, Garbin ended with 2003 with school records in points (21 - breaking the previous best by Chalise Baysa (20, 18 games 2001)) and shots (70 - tying the mark of Beth Bowler in 2001). On other all-time Duck lists, her 11th and 12th goals Sunday in 37 career games ties her for third all-time for Oregon with Sierra Marsh (who got her 12 in 73 games), and she only trails Chalise Baysa (31 goals, 75 games) and Erin Anderson (21 goals, 75 games).
Also on the UO lists, Valadez tied Garbin for the team season lead in goals (7) as the duo ended tied for fifth-best all-time in goals in a season. Valadez also ended top-five in season marks in points (second, 19) and game-winning goals (second-tie, 2), while other Ducks with similar top-10 season rankings included Mele French (shots, fifth, 40), Carlie Ashcraft (assists, fourth, 5) and Domenique Lainez (saves, sixth, 92; shutouts, second, 3).
Sunday's contest capped the career of a trio of seniors among the 24-person Duck roster. Senior defender Lindsey Werdell started her 54th contest of her career Sunday and missed only one start the past three seasons, due to a red card from the Washington State game a month ago. The Eugene native connected on four penalty kicks against Pac-10 foes the past two seasons and was a Pac-10 All-Academic pick as a junior. Senior reserve goalkeeper Mary Etter returned to the pitch as a junior in 2002 for the first time in four seasons and played the last two seasons against Wisconsin Green Bay and Cal State Fullerton. The two-sport star and Everett, Wash., native still has one season of indoor eligibility left in track and field and is a two-time discus All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier. Redshirt junior and defender Dara Wone started her ninth game this fall for the Ducks and has played 41 games in her three seasons for the Ducks. Last year she led defenders in shots (3) and shots on goal (3). The former Canadian National Team youth program member will enter graduate school in architecture next fall and was nominated for NSCAA Scholar-Athlete honors this season for her 3.85 GPA in business administration.
Looking ahead, the NCAA will announce its 64-team tournament field Monday, and a bracket will be available at the
www.NCAAsports.come website.
BOXSCORE
UCLA 3, Oregon 2 (2OT), Sun., Nov. 9 in Eugene, Pape' Field. Scoring: UCLA - Whitney Jones at 39:49 (Katherine Bjazevich, Nandi Pryce); UO - Nicole Garbin at 44:28 (Carlie Ashcraft); UCLA - Iris Mora at 81:30 (Bristyn Davis, Whitney Jones); UO - Garbin at 88:55 (Dara Wone, Andrea Valadez); UCLA - Iris Mora at 103:43 (Sarah-Gayle Swanson). Shots: UCLA - 21 (Mora 4), Oregon 9 (Garbin 4). Shots on Goal: UCLA - 10 (Mora 3), UO - 5 (Garbin 4). Corner Kicks: UCLA - 9, UO - 1. Saves: UCLA - 3 (Emily Zaplatosch 3), UO - 7 (Domenique Lainez 7). Fouls: UCLA - 18, UO - 13. Offsides: UCLA - 4, UO - 1. Yellow Cards: UO (Bench) - 79:51, UCLA - #23 (95:50). A: 513. Conditions: 54 degrees, partly sunny, no wind, slightly soft field.
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