Sunday, March 18
Los Angeles, CA
12:00 PM
University of Oregon
4-3, 2-2Pac-12
8
at
9
USC
5-3, 3-0Pac-12
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OT
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Oregon
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USC
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No. 12 USC Escapes With 9-8 WIn Over Ducks In Overtime Thriller
03/18/18 | Women's Lacrosse
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – In its second overtime game of the season, the Oregon women's lacrosse team nearly recorded the upset over No. 12 USC, but the Trojans slipped by with a 9-8 win at McAlister Field Sunday afternoon.
The Ducks trailed by as much as four goals in the first half before a last second goal from senior Jill Zubillaga sent the game in extra time.
How it Happened: Down 8-7 with seven minutes left to play, following a goal from USC's Hope Anhut, the Ducks (4-3, 2-2) needed a breakthrough in an extremely defensive second half.
After opening the second period trailing 7-6, Oregon and USC could only muster one goal each throughout nearly the entire second half.
Down one with 30 seconds left, head coach Katrina Dowd called a timeout with possession in Oregon's attacking third. UO worked it around eventually finding Zubillaga crashing the net to slip it by the Trojan keeper and tie the game 8-8 with eight seconds left.
UO won the opening draw in overtime, looking for the upset during the golden goal period, but could not penetrate USC's defense. The Trojan's Gussie Johns knocked the ball loose and earned the clear for USC.
An Oregon foul set up a free position attempt for USC's Kerrigan Miller, and the Trojan's leading scorer did not waste the opportunity, scoring to clinch the win for USC.
The two-time defending former MPSF champions and preseason Pac-12 favorites, USC, showed why they were the early favorites coming out firing against the Ducks to open the game.
The Trojans netted their first goal barely two minutes in, converting on a free position attempt. USC took a 3-0 lead before the Ducks finally got on the board scoring off the patented one-two punch between seniors Cambi Cukar and Mariah Gatti.
USC built their lead to as high as 6-2 midway through the first, going 4-for-4 on free position shots in the opening half.
The Ducks quickly got back into it after a goal from Shannon Williams sparked a one-minute three goal run for UO to make it 6-5 at the 7:44 mark.
USC scored once more before halftime, but Gatti answered netting her third goal of the half with less than a minute to play to send it into halftime with the Ducks trailing, 7-6.
The second half was a much more defensive battle between the two teams as neither squad scored throughout the majority of the period.
Brittany Read was a brick wall in the net for UO recording 10 of her season-high 15 saves in the second half. The Ducks did a good job of shutting down the Trojans from the eight-meter fan as USC went 0-for-4 on free position attempts.
Oregon finally broke the deadlock, tying the game 7-7 following Williams second goal of the game with 13:09 left to play.
Who Stood Out: Read flipped a switch in the second half saving all four free position shots from USC … The senior transfer finished the game with season-highs of 15 saves and seven ground balls … Gatti recorded her fourth game this season with at least three goals, leading all scorers with a hat trick.
Notable: Zubillaga has now scored at least two goals in every game so far this season … USC recorded 13 draw controls in the game compared to six for UO.
Up Next: The Ducks will play their second straight ranked opponent, hosting No. 15 Colorado Friday, March 23, at 5 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.
The Ducks trailed by as much as four goals in the first half before a last second goal from senior Jill Zubillaga sent the game in extra time.
How it Happened: Down 8-7 with seven minutes left to play, following a goal from USC's Hope Anhut, the Ducks (4-3, 2-2) needed a breakthrough in an extremely defensive second half.
After opening the second period trailing 7-6, Oregon and USC could only muster one goal each throughout nearly the entire second half.
Down one with 30 seconds left, head coach Katrina Dowd called a timeout with possession in Oregon's attacking third. UO worked it around eventually finding Zubillaga crashing the net to slip it by the Trojan keeper and tie the game 8-8 with eight seconds left.
UO won the opening draw in overtime, looking for the upset during the golden goal period, but could not penetrate USC's defense. The Trojan's Gussie Johns knocked the ball loose and earned the clear for USC.
An Oregon foul set up a free position attempt for USC's Kerrigan Miller, and the Trojan's leading scorer did not waste the opportunity, scoring to clinch the win for USC.
The two-time defending former MPSF champions and preseason Pac-12 favorites, USC, showed why they were the early favorites coming out firing against the Ducks to open the game.
The Trojans netted their first goal barely two minutes in, converting on a free position attempt. USC took a 3-0 lead before the Ducks finally got on the board scoring off the patented one-two punch between seniors Cambi Cukar and Mariah Gatti.
USC built their lead to as high as 6-2 midway through the first, going 4-for-4 on free position shots in the opening half.
The Ducks quickly got back into it after a goal from Shannon Williams sparked a one-minute three goal run for UO to make it 6-5 at the 7:44 mark.
USC scored once more before halftime, but Gatti answered netting her third goal of the half with less than a minute to play to send it into halftime with the Ducks trailing, 7-6.
The second half was a much more defensive battle between the two teams as neither squad scored throughout the majority of the period.
Brittany Read was a brick wall in the net for UO recording 10 of her season-high 15 saves in the second half. The Ducks did a good job of shutting down the Trojans from the eight-meter fan as USC went 0-for-4 on free position attempts.
Oregon finally broke the deadlock, tying the game 7-7 following Williams second goal of the game with 13:09 left to play.
Who Stood Out: Read flipped a switch in the second half saving all four free position shots from USC … The senior transfer finished the game with season-highs of 15 saves and seven ground balls … Gatti recorded her fourth game this season with at least three goals, leading all scorers with a hat trick.
Notable: Zubillaga has now scored at least two goals in every game so far this season … USC recorded 13 draw controls in the game compared to six for UO.
Up Next: The Ducks will play their second straight ranked opponent, hosting No. 15 Colorado Friday, March 23, at 5 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.
Team Stats
ORE
USC
Shots
22
30
Turnovers
13
14
Caused Turnovers
10
10
Draw Controls
6
13
Free-Position Shots
8
9
Ground Balls
19
16
Game Leaders
G
3
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
0
G
2
A
2
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
2
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's LacrosseATK
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Women's LacrosseATK
/ Women's LacrosseATK
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