Ten-Goal Second Half Leads Oregon Over Cincinnati
from press release
CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Oregon lacrosse
team jumped ahead early and pulled away with a big second half to
cruise to a 16-5 win at Cincinnati on Sunday.
The Ducks (3-2) got a season-high five points out of Alex Breiner
(two goals, three assists) while Jana Drummond and Nikki Puszcz
tallied four goals apiece to send UO to its third win in the last
four games.
Puszcz opened the scoring at the 5:28 mark and Shannon Propst gave
Oregon a two-goal lead 1:42 later. A minute and a half after that,
Drummond converted a feed from Breiner to make it 3-0 with less
than nine minutes gone by in the opening stanza.
The score remained 3-0 until Cincinnati’s Maddie Fink got the
Bearcats on the board midway through the first half to make it 3-1.
Oregon responded by scoring the next three goals with tallies by
Breiner, Maggie Kovacs and Drummond to open up its largest lead of
the first half at 6-1. Cincinnati scored the final two goals of the
period, a rally capped by a goal from Natalie Starvaggi with 57
seconds remaining, to make it a 6-3 game at halftime.
UO regained its five-goal advantage less than five minutes into the
second half as Ashley Inman poured in one of her two goals of the
afternoon just 1:04 into the frame and Drummond’s third goal
of the contest gave the Ducks an 8-3 lead at the 4:26 mark.
After a Cincinnati tally by Laura Simaski brought the Bearcats
within four, the Ducks scored five unanswered goals to put the
contest away. Breiner scored off a Kate Cathell pass to start the
onslaught and her marker was followed by goals from Jana Drummond,
Puszcz, Jess Drummond and Puszcz again to make it 13-4 midway
through the final period.
The Bearcats got to within 13-5, but Oregon closed out the game
with the final three goals, two of which came in the final minute.
Jessie Esteban scored her first career goal in the game-capping
flurry.
Oregon dominated the game statistically, outshooting Cincinnati,
36-11, and holding a 16-7 advantage in draw controls. The Ducks
also edged the Bearcats in groundballs, 22-19, and won the turnover
battle by forcing 20 miscues against 17 of their own.
Salliebeth Finnegan picked up her third win of the season by
stopping two of five shots in the first half. Caroline Federighi
played goal in the second half and stopped one of three shots that
came her way.
The Ducks return home for a game against William and Mary on March
11 at Pape’ Field. Game time is at 5 p.m.
