Ducks Erickson, Garbin Named Pac-10 Coach, Player of The Year

Erickson and Garbin become the first Pac-10 player and coach of the year winners in the sport of soccer in school history.

Oregon's First Pac-10 Player of the Year, Nicole Garbin. goducks.com

EUGENE - Oregon’s record-setting women’s soccer team added another chapter on Thursday as Tara Erickson was named Pacific-10 Conference coach of the year and senior forward Nicole Garbin won Pac-10 player of the year honors, announced by commissioner Tom Hansen.

After the Ducks were slated for a last-place finish in the preseason coaches poll, Erickson, 33, led Oregon to a 12-6-2 overall mark and a 6-1-2 record in Pac-10 play, in addition to setting myriad school records.

Among those were the most wins and Pac-10 wins ever for the Oregon program as the Ducks claimed second place in the conference -- five places higher than they had ever finished previously. The winning record was the first in program history.

Along the way, Oregon set school defensive season records fewest goals allowed (17), lowest goals against average (0.81), fewest points allowed (55) and most shutouts (8).

The team also recorded its first defeat of a ranked team on the road (2-1, No. 24 Arizona) and its 2-1 overtime upset of No. 3 UCLA Friday night was the highest ranked team the Ducks have ever knocked off.

The Puyallup, Wash., native began the season by giving birth to her second child, Taj Makena, just two days before the season opener. T

he former three-time MVP at Washington and former Portland State head coach has accumulated a 21-15-3 mark in her two seasons in Eugene. She is now responsible for 30 percent of Oregon’s 70 wins in the 11-year history of the program.

Garbin finished her remarkable career holding or sharing 19 different school records.

In 2006, she set school season records for goals (12), game-winning goals (9), points (25) and shots (84). She led the Pac-10 in game-winning goals, hitting the decisive score in all six of Oregon’s conference triumphs.

She finished second in the league in goals and points to Pac-10 freshman of the year Lauren Cheney. The UCLA rookie tallied 30 points on 15 goals.

Garbin became the first player in league history to win Pac-10 player of the week honors three times in the same season, and her four career player of the week honors are the most in league history.

The Wailuku, Hawaii, native, who recovered from two separate knee injuries during her career, finished 2006 as Oregon’s career leader in goals (34), game-winning goals (22), multi-goal games (6), assists (15), points (83), shots (257) and games played (76). She was granted a rare sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA due to medical hardship.

Since her career began in 2001, Oregon posted a 38-33-5 record when she took the field, and was 5-28-5 when she was sidelined by an injury or a red card.

Garbin, who also became the first Duck named to the all-Pac-10 first team, was an all-Pac-10 second team selection in 2003 and 2005.

She was joined in the all-conference honors by defenders Dylann Tharp and Danielle Sweeney.

Sweeney, from Pleasanton, Calif., was named to the Pac-10 all-freshman team and also earned all-Pac-10 honorable mention status.

She recorded three assists on the season, tops among UO freshmen and second on the team overall. She is just the second freshman honored by the conference, joining goalkeeper Jessie Chatfield from a year ago.

Tharp, from San Pedro, Calif., garnered an all-Pac-10 honorable mention nod for the first time in her career. The junior had two assists as she and Sweeney played big roles in helping Oregon establish those defensive records.

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