University of Oregon
Santa Clara
Ducks Play Into Scoreless Draw With #16 Santa Clara
09/04/11 | Women's Soccer
EUGENE, Ore.- University of Oregon soccer (4-0-1) faced their first ranked opponent of the season Sunday afternoon in the tournament finale of the Nike Tournament and they did not disappoint the 849 fans in attendance as they played #16 Santa Clara into a scoreless draw at Pape' Field.
From the start of the match, UO fans could tell it was going to be another physical match as Oregon was given an early foul minutes into the match. But at the 4:55 mark, Santa Clara's Sophia Huerta was able to get off a header that went wide left. Freshman Kelsey Foo took the Ducks' first shot of the match a little over four minutes later and hers went wide left, as well.
The Broncos came back and took another shot at 9:32, but freshman goalkeeper Abby Steele was able to corral the shot in for the first of a career-high eight saves on the afternoon.
After being awarded a corner kick, SCU came right back at Steele and once again the shot was grabbed up by the freshman, who was making only her second start of her UO career.
Following senior Taylor Jones coming into the match for freshman Kiyomi Cook, Santa Clara was given back-to-back corner kicks, but the Duck back line, which had a spectacular match, kept any shots from coming close.
The Broncos took a total of 15 corner kicks, which ties the most corners that an UO opponent has taken in a single match in program history. Portland State took 15 back in 1998 and San Jose State was the last to do it in 2001.
Steele was tested three more times before two SCU shots sailed high.
Following a shot that went wide right at the 40:12 mark by SCU's Meleana Shim, the Green and Yellow offense set itself up for what was the last shot of the first half when freshman Shanelle Simien nailed a shot off the crossbar for what would have been the lone goal of the half.
The youth of the Ducks came out firing again to start the second stanza of action. Steele picked up another save off the shot of SCU's Lauren Matheson and 30 seconds later freshman Ryann Davie had another Duck scoring opportunity fall into the hands of SCU goalkeeper Bianca Henninger.
Neither team attempted another shot until freshman Allie Rodriguez let a shot go at 59:37 that was saved by Henninger.
With the match closing in on regulation time, junior Mo Fitzgerald was able to create a shot at 83:37, but it was also tallied up as a save for Henninger.
Huerta and Matheson fired more shots at Steele at the 85:37 and 87:05, but neither was able to find the back of the net as Steele had her hands all over the shots. Junior Nicole Bakke was the Ducks' last chance to score before the end of regulation but her effort sailed wide to end the period.
With players from both squads having problems with leg cramps, both teams were looking to gain an advantage in the extra periods.
Davie was able to break away from the Broncos two minutes into the extra period and while she had an excellent look at the net, her shot was wide.
After SCU's Margueritte Aozasa picked up a yellow card, the Ducks once again looked to end things once and for all on a throw in. Junior Scout Libke stepped up and took the shot off the set piece, but much to the sigh of the crowd, it hit the post with less than four minutes left in the first overtime period.
Santa Clara had three opportunities to notch goals off corner kicks in the final overtime, but the back line of Oregon stood tall and did not allow any shots in the final period to send the Ducks and Broncos into a scoreless draw.
The last time the Ducks played a ranked opponent into a tie was last season when UO tied with #19 USC, 1-1.
Henninger moved to 3-0-2 on the season with three saves, while Steele is now 0-0-1. Steele is the only Oregon goalkeeper of the season to play a full match as her and senior Lindsay Parlee had been splitting time in goal. Parlee and Steele have combined to not allow any opponent to notch a goal against the duo.
Huerta was the Broncos' shot leader with five and Simien and Davie each had two apiece for UO.
The tough competition for the Ducks continue as they travel to Baton Rouge, La. to participate in the LSU Tournament on Friday (9/9) and Sunday (9/11). Oregon takes on the Tigers Friday at 5:30 (PT) and then the Illini of Illinois on Sunday at 9 a.m. (PT).
University of Oregon Nike Tournament All- Tournament Team
Tournament MVP: Scout Libke, Oregon
Forwards
Jacy Drobney, Oregon State
Meleana Shim, Santa Clara
Julie Armstrong, Oregon
Midfielders
Erin Uchacz, Oregon State
Monique Mamotte, New Hampshire
Shanelle Simien, Oregon
Kelsey Foo, Oregon
Defenders
Milan Cabrera, Oregon State
Sofia Huerta, Santa Clara
Julie Johnston, Santa Clara
Goalkeeper
Abby Steele, Oregon
