Oregon Soccer Position Preview: Defenders and Goalkeepers

Position preview number one for the Oregon women's soccer team. Today we scout the defenders and goalkeepers.

Oregon's back line should be one of the most experienced and talented in the Pac-12. Incumbents Halla Hinriksdottir (GK), Alyssa Hinojosa (D) and Jazmin Jackmon (D) combined for 55 starts in 2017 and rarely left the field. On the other side of the coin, to replace graduated starters Mia Costa and Michelle Rockey – as well as the leadership of Caitlyn Wong – the Ducks will turn to some of their younger players.

Who's Back
Field Players Pos.       Yr.          GP/GS G             A             P GWG     Sh
Alyssa Hinojosa               D             Jr.           19/19     0              1              1 0              3
Jazmin Jackmon               D             Sr.           19/17 0              0              0 0 6
Brianne Parsons               D             Sr.           9/1 1              1              3 0 3
Mia Palmer D             So.          15/4       1              0 2              0 1
Goalkeepers Sv           G             GAA       W-L-T    SO
Halla Hinriksdottir            GK          R-Sr.      19/19     69           24           1.33        8-10-0 6
Katelyn Carter GK          Jr.           3/0         3              2 2.11        0-1-0 0

Who's Gone
Field Players                      Pos.       Yr.          GP/GS G             A             P             GWG Sh
Mia Costa                            D             Sr.           17/17     1              1              3              0 12
Michelle Rockey D             Sr.           17/17     0              1              1              0 12
Caitlyn Wong D             Sr.           9/1         0              0              0              0 0

Who's New
Player Pos.       Yr.          Hometown (Last School)
Charlotte Brisley               GK Fr.           Excelsior, Minn. (Shattuck-St. Mary)
Chai Cortez D Fr.           Kahului, Hawaii (Maui HS)
Hannah Taylor                   D R-Fr. Edmonds, Wash. (Edmonds HS)
Claire Watkins                   D Fr.           San Diego, Calif. (Helix Charter HS)

What to watch

Hinojosa is as steady as they come at center back and led the Ducks in minutes played in 2017 with 1,678.
Hinriksdottir is a savvy netminder who could threaten nearly all of Oregon's career goalkeeping records should the pendulum swing in the Ducks' favor in 2018.
Jackmon, a transfer from Santa Clara, should be more of a threat from the back line after getting familiar with that spot in her first season at Oregon in 2017.
Mia Palmer looks to take over the outside back position vacated by Costa, though Brianne Parsons and others will get a long look there as well. Palmer saw extensive playing time as a freshman last season. Palmer and Parsons accounted for two of the three goals scored by Oregon's back line in 2017.
One of the most dynamic newcomers is Hannah Taylor, a Canadian U-20 National Team player who redshirted last fall. The strong 5-foot-9 defender will be a physical presence stepping in for the graduated Rockey.
And don't overlook Parsons simply because she missed the last 10 games of 2017 with an injury. Now fully recovered, she may be the most versatile member of the defense thanks to her on-ball defense, as well as her ability to swing between both the inside and outside back positions.
The Ducks will also look to develop their defensive depth through two freshmen, Chai Cortez and Claire Watkins. Cortez attended the same high school (Maui) as the greatest player in modern Oregon history, Nicole Garbin. Other field players who could get a look on the back line include Emily Kaestner, Mary Jane Erving, True Dydasco and Jordan Wormdahl.
At goalkeeper, junior Katelyn Carter has seen action in a number of games over the last two years to give Oregon an experienced reserve in the net. Freshman Charlotte Brisley adds depth to the position under new goalkeeper coach Cris Lewis.

Head Coach Kat Mertz

"We have some great leaders back there. We have three really talented goalkeepers and then you couple that with the center backs and outside backs that we have returning, and the new ones that are coming to join our squad, I really do believe this is one of our premier back lines that we've had since I've been here."