Kuhns' Record-Setting Performance Leads Ducks

Sunday, September 19

Corvallis, Ore.

11:00 AM

University of Oregon

Butler

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

09/19/10 | Women's Soccer

By: GoDucks.com

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Senior midfielder Kirstie Kuhns scored four goals and senior forward Jen Stoltenberg added two goals and two assists in leading the University of Oregon soccer team to a 6-1 neutral-site victory over Butler on Sunday in Corvallis, Ore. The Ducks, who scored all six of their goals in the first half, improved to 4-3-2 overall with the win. Butler dropped to 2-6-0.

“Finally. I think we were waiting for a game like this,” head coach Tara Erickson said of the record-setting victory. “We played very well in the first half.”

The Ducks, who had 10 shots on goal in the match, tallied 14 of their 16 total shots in the first half. It was the seventh consecutive match UO out-shot its opponent.

The six goals were the most of any Erickson-led team at Oregon, and the second-most for a UO team since soccer returned in 1996.

Kuhns' four goals, and eight total points, tied the school records for most goals and points in a single match. Those marks were originally set by Michele Potestio and Julie Ray who both recorded four-goal matches in 1980. Kuhns is the only UO player to have tallied a four-goal match since 1996. She was named the Oregon State Nike Invitational MVP for her play in the wins over San Diego State and Butler.

Kuhns, from Pleasanton, Calif., scored her first goal of the season in the fourth minute, beating Butler goalkeeper Olivia Walter. The play was set up on a nice centering pass by senior Mercedes Walters, the first of her two assists.

Eight minutes later the Ducks took a 2-0 lead when Stoltenberg tallied her fifth goal of the season. Once again it was Walters with the assist, sending a pass through defenders to Stoltenberg who finished with a score to the lower left of the goalkeeper.

“It was great to see Stolt and Kirstie contributing with those goals, but we had tons of contributions from players all over the field,” Erickson said.

Sophomore Nicole Bakke assisted Kuhns' second goal which came in the 15th minute. Kuhns then gave Oregon a 4-0 lead in the 23rd minute, completing the hat trick in the process. The build-up began with a long ball from Bakke to Stoltenberg, then played off to Kuhns for the score to the right of the goalkeeper.

Kuhns scored her record-matching fourth goal of the contest in the 27th minute, heading the ball into an empty net after a Stoltenberg shot deflected off the Butler goalkeeper. All five of Kuhns' shots were on goal and she scored goals on four of those attempts.

The Ducks took a 6-0 advantage in the 30th minute on Stoltenberg's second goal of the match, sixth of the season, which was assisted by sophomore midfielder Scout Libke. UO tied the school record for points in a match (19 PTS, 6 G, 7 A) with that final goal. The mark was previously set against San Francisco State on Aug. 29, 1997 (7 G, 5A).

Oregon broke the school record for most team assists in a match with seven (previous record: six, Arizona-10/30/98 and San Jose State-8/25/00).

Stoltenberg moved into second place in school history for career points with Sunday's six-point outing. She now has 71 career points (27 g, 17 a) in 69 matches at UO, 13 points shy of breaking Nicole Garbin's school record of 83 career points.

Butler recorded its only goal in the 78th minute when Jackie Hafelle assisted on a Katie Griswold score.

UO junior goalkeeper Cody Miles played 45 minutes, tallying two saves with no goals allowed. Miles was named the tournament's top goalkeeper. Freshman goalkeeper Casey Wilhelm, seeing her first collegiate action for UO, played the final 45 minutes recording a save and allowing the lone goal.

“It was great to get a lot of the players in the match and get some significant minutes,” Erickson added. In all, 19 Oregon players saw action in the match.

Burton allowed all six goals while recording four saves in playing 70 minutes in net for the Bulldogs. Five Butler players combined to take six shots, four on goal. BU did have a 6-1 edge in corner kicks (five coming in second half). The Ducks were whistled for 12 fouls to Butler's six.

Oregon (4-3-2) returns to action with one match next week at Santa Clara. That match is slated for 7:30 p.m. (PT) Friday at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

All-Tournament Team
MVP – Kirstie Kuhns, Oregon

Goalkeeper- Cody Miles, Oregon

Forwards:
Katie Griswold , Butler; Jen Stoltenberg, Oregon; Solidad Gomez, San Diego State; Chelsea Buckland, Oregon State.

Midfielders:
Colleen Gorkis, Butler; Kirstie Kuhns, Oregon; Mechaela DeJesus, San Diego State; Melinda Ingalls, Oregon State.

Defenders:
Olivia Colosimo, Butler; Nicole Bakke, Oregon; Haley Palmer, San Diego State; Ashley Folsom, Oregon State.

Record Notes
- Kuhns' four goals tied the UO single-game record for most in a match. The record is also held by Michele Potestio and Julie Ray who both recorded four-goal matches in 1980. Kuhns is the only UO player to have tallied a four-goal match (since varsity soccer was instituted during 1996 season).

- Kuhns' eight points (4 goals, 0 assists) matched the best single-game performance in school history (matching the pre-1996 outings by Potestio and Ray from the 1980 season).

- Oregon broke the school record for most team assists in a match with seven (Previous record: six, Arizona-10/30/98 and San Jose State-8/25/00).

- UO tied the school record for points in a match with 19 on six goals and seven assists. The mark was previously set against San Francisco State on Aug. 29, 1997 (7 G, 5A).

- The six goals scored are the second-most for a UO team since soccer returned in the 1996 season. It ranks seventh all-time when including the 1980 and 1981 seasons.

- With her two goals and two assists, Stoltenberg now has 71 career points (27 g, 17 a) in 69 matches at UO. She is 13 points shy of breaking Nicole Garbin's school record of 83 career points.