
Photo by: Eric Evans Photography
Ducks Lose Ground in Final Home Game
04/16/23 | Women's Lacrosse
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon once again could not find offensive footing and was unable to capitalize on first-half leads in Sunday's 10-5 loss to No. 20 USC.
After scoring the day's opening goal, the Ducks (5-8, 1-6 Pac-12) were in familiar territory against the Trojans (13-3, 8-1 Pac-12) after taking an early lead in the side's first meeting. Oregon was able to favorably slow down the pace of play and escape the first period with a 1-0 lead. However, the Ducks could not maintain that level of control for the entirety of the game.
"They're a top-20 team in the country and their defense is one of the hardest to get by," said head coach Chelsea Hoffmann addressing the team's offensive production. "There were opportunities that we could have capitalized on but ultimately, they shifted really well and took advantage of where our threats were," said Hoffmann. Even with 66 combined fouls, the physical nature of Sunday's game was not unexpected to the fifth-year head coach. "I expect every game in our conference to be physical. I did not know it would be that physical but I think every team in our conference is physical."

How it Happened: Oregon worked itself into a strong position. At 10:41 in the first, junior Katie Collins drew a foul and stepped up to the eight-meter line. From there, she whipped in a pass to Haley Cummins, who put away the first goal of the day.
Throughout the first 15 minutes of play, both defenses were staunch in their marking, with Cummins' goal being the only tally early.
USC began to find its footing in the second, with Isabelle Vitale finding the back of the net to get the Trojans on the board. Junior Morgan McCarthy extended her goal-scoring streak to 24 games after converting on an eight-meter shot to give the Ducks a 2-1 advantage. From there, Vitale and Maggie Brown scored consecutive goals for USC for a 4-2 lead after the first half.
The Trojans carried their momentum from the second into the third for a 5-0 run that lasted nearly 22 minutes. Gabby Cleveland got Oregon on the board in the second half, but USC's Vitale gave the Trojans a 7-3 lead with 15 minutes to play.
Cleveland continued to handle the offensive weight in the second half, netting two more goals to give herself a hat trick on the day. In the end, the Ducks could not overcome the imposing Trojan defense.

Who Stood Out: Margot Hotham matched a career-high with four caused turnovers. McCarthy scooped up a career-best five ground balls in the defeat. Senior Katie Collins finished with a career-high four draw controls.
Notable: McCarthy has totaled 50 goals over the course of her 24-game scoring streak … Cleveland now has 21 goals in Pac-12 play this season, the most among UO players this season ... The Ducks caused 10-plus turnovers in consecutive games for the first time since a two-game stretch against Marquette and California last season.
Up Next: Oregon heads back on the road in conference play for a matchup on Friday, April 21, against Cal (3 p.m. PT, Cal Live Stream 3).
After scoring the day's opening goal, the Ducks (5-8, 1-6 Pac-12) were in familiar territory against the Trojans (13-3, 8-1 Pac-12) after taking an early lead in the side's first meeting. Oregon was able to favorably slow down the pace of play and escape the first period with a 1-0 lead. However, the Ducks could not maintain that level of control for the entirety of the game.
"They're a top-20 team in the country and their defense is one of the hardest to get by," said head coach Chelsea Hoffmann addressing the team's offensive production. "There were opportunities that we could have capitalized on but ultimately, they shifted really well and took advantage of where our threats were," said Hoffmann. Even with 66 combined fouls, the physical nature of Sunday's game was not unexpected to the fifth-year head coach. "I expect every game in our conference to be physical. I did not know it would be that physical but I think every team in our conference is physical."
How it Happened: Oregon worked itself into a strong position. At 10:41 in the first, junior Katie Collins drew a foul and stepped up to the eight-meter line. From there, she whipped in a pass to Haley Cummins, who put away the first goal of the day.
Throughout the first 15 minutes of play, both defenses were staunch in their marking, with Cummins' goal being the only tally early.
USC began to find its footing in the second, with Isabelle Vitale finding the back of the net to get the Trojans on the board. Junior Morgan McCarthy extended her goal-scoring streak to 24 games after converting on an eight-meter shot to give the Ducks a 2-1 advantage. From there, Vitale and Maggie Brown scored consecutive goals for USC for a 4-2 lead after the first half.
The Trojans carried their momentum from the second into the third for a 5-0 run that lasted nearly 22 minutes. Gabby Cleveland got Oregon on the board in the second half, but USC's Vitale gave the Trojans a 7-3 lead with 15 minutes to play.
Cleveland continued to handle the offensive weight in the second half, netting two more goals to give herself a hat trick on the day. In the end, the Ducks could not overcome the imposing Trojan defense.
Who Stood Out: Margot Hotham matched a career-high with four caused turnovers. McCarthy scooped up a career-best five ground balls in the defeat. Senior Katie Collins finished with a career-high four draw controls.
Notable: McCarthy has totaled 50 goals over the course of her 24-game scoring streak … Cleveland now has 21 goals in Pac-12 play this season, the most among UO players this season ... The Ducks caused 10-plus turnovers in consecutive games for the first time since a two-game stretch against Marquette and California last season.
Up Next: Oregon heads back on the road in conference play for a matchup on Friday, April 21, against Cal (3 p.m. PT, Cal Live Stream 3).
Team Stats
USC
ORE
Shots
20
17
Turnovers
23
20
Caused Turnovers
13
12
Draw Controls
12
7
Free-Position Shots
5
4
Ground Balls
18
20
Game Leaders
Players
Players Mentioned
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