It was clear skies at Papé Field today as the women’s lacrosse team beat the Cincinnati Bearcats 16-5.
The last time these two teams faced each other was April 1, 2o12, with Oregon coming out on top 20-10.
Yesterday, first game jitters were clearly a factor for the Ducks, who suffered a tough loss to the No. 12 Dartmouth in overtime 8-7.
Today the Ducks came out ready to play. With man-to-man pressure defense throughout the field, Oregon created offensive opportunities with steals.
“I think we put a nice press on them. We recognized in a match-up situation we could pressure the player we were up against, it added a little confidence to what we had yesterday,” said head coach Jen Larsen Beck. “Each person making a little step makes a significant difference. I was proud. It wasn’t just one person, it was significant across the board.”
At halftime, the Ducks were ahead 8-2. Oregon was able to take advantage of the Bearcats’ 16 turnovers. In the first half, Oregon controlled the offensive possessions, taking 19 shots compared to Cincinnati’s 4.
“There was a team effort. It wasn’t just one person or one adjustment. It was truly making sure we were hustling and that was a reason for the caused turnovers,” said Beck.
Senior Kate Cathell proved to be a threat for Cincinnati, earning herself a hat trick in the first half. Cathell finished the game with four goals. Oregon had great offensive production as a team with nine players scoring goals.
Junior Shannon Propst tacked on three goals for the Ducks. Also contributing was sophomore Devon Frazer with two. http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205327779@@
“We came out to play today. We could of limited our turnovers today. But it was not easy and we all had to work hard,” said Cathell.
Turning Point: In the second half, Oregon kept the momentum going. The Ducks were able to control possession off draw control throughout the half. Oregon was patient on offense and worked the clock in order to maintain their lead. Oregon out-shot Cincinnati 38-10 for the game.
On the horizon: The Ducks face High Point Saturday, March 2 at 5:00 p.m.