Playmaking Practice Pays Quick Dividend As Ducks Win Opener

Friday, August 17

Eugene, OR

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

1-0-0

Stony Brook

0-1-0

Stony Brook

Oregon

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

Playmaking Practice Pays Quick Dividend As Ducks Win Opener

08/17/18 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 2, Stony Brook 1

Oregon opened the 2018 season with a 2-1 win Friday over Stony Brook, and the game-winning goal was scored off a play Emma Eddy and Eden Hardy have worked hard to perfect together.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — When the Oregon soccer team finishes training for the day, the Ducks still aren't quite done.

UO coach Kat Mertz encourages her players to use the final few minutes of training sessions to get creative. Work on a move or set piece that could come in handy at some undefined future moment, with a game in the balance.

For junior Emma Eddy and sophomore Eden Hardy, that time has been spent working in tandem, on finishing crossing passes. For that Duck duo, the undefined future moment when that extra work might pay off came Friday night, in Oregon's season opener, with the UO women locked in a tie with Stony Brook.

In the 64th minute at Papé Field on Friday, Chardonnay Curran tapped a free kick from the right corner to Hardy. Maneuvering past a couple of defenders, Hardy then fired a pass that crossed toward the far post, where Eddy stuffed it in for what proved to be the game-winning goal in Oregon's 2-1 victory over the Sea Wolves before 532 fans in attendance.

"It's amazing," Eddy said. "It feels so good, because we really have worked hard at that."

The victory was Oregon's first in a season opener since 2013. The Ducks showed resolve in coming back from an early deficit, when 2017 leading scorer Marissa Everett evened the game at 1-1 with a left-footed volley after an entry play by Hardy in the 38th minute. And they showed again the value of their "game changers" in reserve, with Hardy's two assists and Eddy's goal both coming off the bench.

116804

"They absolutely came in and changed the game," Mertz said. "Everyone did their job to the fullest."

Stony Brook, a 2017 NCAA Tournament team, took the lead in the 26th minute when Alyssa Francese's shot off the foot of diving UO defender Hannah Taylor found the back of the net. But the Ducks, who demonstrated improved offensive prowess in their preseason training and a 5-0 exhibition win over Portland State, didn't blink.

Everett tied it with her 11th career goal, a little over 10 minutes later. When the Ducks entered halftime, Mertz's message was simple — relax.

"For us it was just settling down, being confident and having fun out there," Mertz said.

Oregon threatened to blow the game open much wider. Jessica Yu banged a shot off the crossbar in the 53rd minute, and four minutes after the go-ahead goal, Hardy had a shot from close range curl just wide. Stony Brook had a surge left as well, in the frantic final few minutes, but in the end the Ducks left the field feeling they'd built on their preseason progress.

"It feels really good," Hardy said. "Our team has been working really hard ever since the winter. To see it pay off from the first game feels really good."

116803

Up next for the Ducks is another 2017 NCAA Tournament team, when Oregon hosts Clemson on Sunday (5 p.m., Pac-12 Network). The Tigers opened their own season Friday with a 1-0 victory at Oregon State, their first of two matches this weekend pairing teams from soccer's two powerhouse conferences, the ACC and the Pac-12.

It'll be another tough test for the Ducks. But they passed one Friday, thanks to the hard work they put in over the winter — and a fortuitous bit of playmaking practice by Eddy and Hardy.