Scoreless Streak Ends, But Ducks Fall to LMU

The Ducks return to Oregon for the OSU Soccer Classic next weekend in Corvallis. Oregon will play New Hampshire on Friday and Iona on Sunday.

Photo courtesy: goducks.com

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Oregon soccer team got on the scoreboard for the first time in 2006, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a pair of Loyola Marymount goals as the Lions escaped with a 2-1 decision Sunday at Sullivan Field. The loss dropped the Ducks to 0-3-0 on the season.

“We simply aren’t playing very well right now,” said Oregon head coach Tara Erickson. “It’s really frustrating to start the season 0-3. We’re still trying to find the right combinations that are going to work for us and obviously we aren’t quite there yet.”

Loyola Marymount (1-0-1) got on the board first on a goal from Jamie Bell in the 16th minute. Eight minutes into the second half, Tana Smothermon headed in what proved to be the game winner on a cross from Michelle Kanama.

Midfielder Allison Newton scored Oregon’s first goal of the season at the 65:14 mark of the second half. Newton collected a Danielle Sweeney corner kick after it was redirected by sophomore Dylann Tharp and scored from just inside the penalty box for her first career goal.

“We gave (LMU) a couple of easy chances and they took advantage of it,” said Erickson. “And our forwards are having a hard time finishing when we get the same chances.

“(Newton) played really well again and we finally scored and we created a lot of scoring opportunities,” said Erickson. “So we can at least look at those things as positives that we can move forward with. If we can keep creating scoring chances like we did on this trip, I know we’ll start getting some goals as we get better at finishing.”

It was the first career assist from Sweeney, a freshman from Pleasanton, Calif., and the second career assist for Tharp.

The Ducks out-shot LMU 13-12, but were whistled for a season-high 15 fouls, while the Lions had 11. Senior Nicole Garbin led Oregon with five shots.

Prior to Newton’s goal, Oregon’s scoreless streak reached a school record 571:24 minutes to surpass the previous mark of 5:27:05 set during the 1996 season. The Ducks had last scored a goal Oct. 28, 2005, in a 1-0 victory against Washington.

GAME NOTES:

The Ducks are 0-3 to start a season for the first time since the 2002 squad got off to an 0-3 start...Oregon has never gone 0-4 to start a season...dating back to last season, the Ducks have lost six in a row...the school’s longest losing streak is seven games, which came during the 2000 season...sophomore defender Nicole Dobrzynski returned from her one-game red car suspension...both Dobrzynski and freshman forward Melissa Buich were issued yellow cards during Sunday’s match.

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