Set play scores favor Oregon in 2-1 Aggie loss
In a game determined by second chances, the Oregon soccer team capitalized on two deflected shots in the box to down the Aggies 2-1, Friday, Sept. 14, in USU’s home opener.
Looking like a scene out of “The Mighty Ducks,” the consequences of the one-one-one situations were reflected in the final score.
Already up 1-0 early in the second half, Oregon benefited from a USU foul inside the 20-yard box to set up a penalty kick opportunity. Danielle Sweeney, the leading scorer for the Ducks, took the shot to the right corner but USU goalkeeper Ali Griffin had her eye on the ball the entire time and deflected the ball to the right, killing the free shot.
But a failed defensive clearing by the Aggies provided a second chance for Oregon and Darcie Gardner, who had scored the first goal for the Ducks, pounded in the goal that would become the game-winning score.
Call it karma or a lucky break, but in the 76th minute of play, USU earned a penalty kick following an Oregon foul. Senior midfielder Abby Hunt took the shot, faking out Oregon goalkeeper Jessie Chatfield, and placed the ball in the back of the net to bring the Aggies within one.
“When (the penalty kick) got called, I was like, ‘Dana, you’re taking it,’ and she was like, ‘No, you’re taking it,’ and all of a sudden I heard the coaches calling my name from the sidelines so I was like, OK, I’m taking it,” Hunt said. “I was like, I just got to put it away and give us a chance to win.”
Hunt’s goal was her second score of the season, tallying her first against Weber State, Wednesday, Sept. 12.
The Aggies had other close scoring attempts throughout the second half, including a fastbreak in the waning seconds of the game by freshman forward Lauren Hansen, but the shot missed the target, landing on the left side of the net, securing the win for the Ducks.
USU Head Coach Heather Cairns said her team played well against what she felt was the best team they would play all season. Oregon was nationally ranked last season and was one of the last teams left out of the NCAA tournament. The Ducks are also part of the very talented Pac-10 conference, a league USU has struggled against in the past.
“We knew coming in that they were the best team we’ve played this season and I think the girls were prepared for it,” Cairns said. “I think that we did a lot of good things today. We certainly had some opportunities to win the game. They had more. But we had some opportunities there. I think it was a solid performance. They’re a good team. For us to come out and perform like that this early in the season against a team like that it bodes well for later in the year, in conference when it really counts.”
Oregon had a definite size advantage over the Aggies, which fared well for them in their long ball, air attack approach. Winning the 50/50 battles in the air was a critical part of the game for the Aggies, Cairns said. Though undersized, at the end of the first half, Cairns said her team had won half of the air battles.
“At first they were winning all the 50/50 balls and we were like, we have to step it up,” said freshman midfielder Stefani Shiozaki, who was part of the vital Aggie defensive battle in the first half. “We started picking it up and winning more balls and got us in the mode to win all balls.”
“It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the size of the fight in the dog, is that the saying?” Cairns said. “It’s about discipline. Certainly some our shortest players are Abby (Hunt) and Alyssa (Lowry) and they’re two of our best players in the air, so while they’re not going to out-jump somebody that’s six feet tall – they weren’t six foot – they can easily hang with kids that are 5′ 7″ – 5′ 8″ tall, just on their savviness.”
Not only did the Aggies fare well in the air game but prevented Oregon from scoring off their complex attack. The Ducks couldn’t get a running shot off much closer than the 20-yard box, providing easy saves for Aggie goaltender Ali Griffin, who snagged eight saves on the day.
“Certainly they did some great stuff,” Cairns said of her defensive performance. “Ali stopping that PK, (Lindsey Smart) and (Jessie) Malaska were so smart on the outside. I think they all stepped up and did a good job. I think the result was we didn’t give up a goal in the run of play.”
At halftime neither team had points on the board, but in the 55th minute of play, Oregon scored their first point off a well-placed corner kick. The ball bounced in the box and Oregon’s Gardner tapped it in.
Despite the loss, Cairns said the game was a moral victory for her team.
“We were upset that we weren’t tied at the end so that’s what the fighting character you want in a team,” Cairns said. “I think it’s definitely going to make us hungrier for Idaho State.”
“I think we competed really well, we just didn’t finish our last couple opportunities,” Hunt said. “For a Pac-10 team, I’m happy.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Up next for the Aggies is Idaho State, Sunday, Sept. 16 at noon at the Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field.
Cairns said of the Bengals: “Idaho State is going to be a lot like Weber State, they’re in the same conference, they play similar styles. We can expect a very physical game, we can expect a game where they play very direct style, we like to calm the ball down. It’s really going to be a tale of two different styles.
“Even though they’re not in state, they still have a lot of Utah players so it has a feel of an in-state rivalry – I guess we call them border rivalries around here. It’s going to have the emotional component to the game as well. I think we’re going to be a little hungry after this one. We’ll have that edge to put them away. Ever year it’s a very tight game against them so I don’t expect anything less.”
-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu