Duck Soccer Hosts Seattle U. in Spring Finale
EUGENE, Ore. ? The Oregon women’s soccer team will host Seattle University to end its spring season Saturday at 10 a.m. at Pape’ Field. Admission is free.
A relatively healthy spring has allowed Oregon’s 17 returning letterwinners to work extensively toward the 2008 August 23 season opener versus Portland.
"It’s been a nice, full spring for us," said Oregon coach Tara Erickson. "We’ve got a lot of players and had good practices.
"Hopefully, Saturday we’ll get some good work in and use what we’ve accomplished this spring to take a positive mindset into the fall."
The Ducks will return five of their top six scorers and both goalkeepers from last year’s 8-8-4 team.
Among the 17 returners are senior starters Jessie Chatfield (GK), Nicole Dobrzynski (D), Darcie Gardner (D) and Allison Newton (D/M).
Junior midfielder Teresa Bowns led Oregon in points in 2007 with 16 -- five goals and six assists. Newton was next with 13 points (5G, 3A) with junior midfielder Danielle Sweeney contributing four goals and four assists for 12 points.
Chatfield (1.39 GAA) and sophomore Tori Johnson have the goalkeeping in good shape. The Ducks also have veteran starters at defense in Gardner, who came out of the back to be a threat offensively with three goals and an assist in 2007, and Dobrzynski.
Graduated forward Tiffany Smith is the biggest offensive loss; she scored five goals for Oregon last season, four of which were game-winners. The Ducks will also have to account for the loss of defensive anchor Dylann Tharp. The all-Pac-10 second team selection started 73 games in her four years at Oregon.
Three players who didn’t see action in the fall will be on the field for the Ducks on Saturday. Sophomore midfielders Mackenzie Doty and Rianna Mansfield redshirted the 2007 season with injuries, but have returned for the spring. Doty is a transfer from Chico State, while Mansfield played in 13 games with 12 starts for Oregon as a freshman in 2006.
Midfielder Catherine Brothers is also new to the team this spring. The redshirt freshman from Walnut Creek, Calif., was going to join the squad in the fall, but delayed that due to an injury. Brothers was a two-time all-league player for Los Lomas High School.
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