University of Oregon
5-3-1, 1-0-0
Washington
6-3-0, 0-1-0
Soccer Wins Pac-12 Opener As Steele Sets Shutout Record
09/26/14 | Women's Soccer
EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's soccer team got a goal from Kira Wagoner in the 104th minute to beat Washington 1-0 on Thursday at Papé Field, giving senior goalkeeper Abby Steele a victory in her UO-record 17th career shutout.
How It Happened: The Ducks (5-3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) and Huskies (6-3, 0-1) played a tight, physical match with few dramatic scoring chances for either side. The winner came in the fourth minute of the second overtime period, when UO freshman Miranda Schulz passed to Wagoner, who chipped a shot that deflected off a defender's foot and past the UW keeper.
"I was able to find a space, and she was able to play a really nice ball in to me," said Wagoner, who scored her first goal of the season. "I was lucky; it was a hard ball not to finish."
Washington had a slight edge in shots, 12-10, and had an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. The UO defense fought off four consecutive corner kicks during a stretch of the first half to keep the Huskies off the board.
Oregon's Bri Pugh led a surge by the Ducks just before halftime, putting a shot high and to the right in the 43rd minute, and setting up Wagoner for a shot that was saved in the final minute of the half. Pugh did not play in the second half and UO coach Kat Mertz said team doctors would determine her availability moving forward.
Who Stood Out: Wagoner finished with three shots off the bench, matching Pugh for the team lead. When the game-winner found the back of the net, Steele sprinted from her goal to celebrate with the team, following her record-setting shutout. "I never run that far down the field," an ebullient Steele said afterward. "I sprinted 100 yards. I don't mind it."
Steele finished with five saves, including a loose ball in the fifth minute that nearly went in off a UO defender, and a low, hard shot in the second half that Steele went to the ground to smother.
"Her presence back there, her communication, her angles off the ball — she's playing really well," Mertz said. "And that's what you want from a senior captain going into her last year."
What It Means: Oregon bounced back from a two-game losing streak, beat Washington for the first time since 2006 and won its conference opener for the first since 2006 as well. "It feels good to come out and set the tone for the Pac-12," said Wagoner, whose goal was the second of her career. "Every day we're continuing to prove to ourselves that we can do this, and we deserve to be competing and excelling and beating these teams. We owe it to ourselves to do better, and we've been doing better. The only way to go is up."
Up Next: The Ducks go on the road to play at Arizona on Oct. 3 and at ASU on Oct. 5, and do so with a 1-0 record in conference for the first time in nearly a decade. "That's a really good confidence booster going into next weekend," Mertz said. "To perform in the second half, and to get a goal without Bri Pugh on the field, there's a lot of things that (will help with) gaining confidence, and that's important for the Pac-12."
Team Stats
Wagoner, Kira (1)
Assisted By: Schulz, Miranda
7 poked the ball over the defense to 13,
103:38
