Sunday, February 25
Eugene, OR
2:00 PM
University of Oregon
3-0
16
vs
9
Marist
0-3
1
2
3
4
F
MARIST
2
2
2
3
9
ORE
6
3
3
4
16
Photo by: GoDucks.com
Lacrosse Off To Best Start Since 2018
02/25/24 | Women's Lacrosse
The Ducks beat Marist on Sunday, 16-9, to win their third straight game to open this season.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon is off to its best start to a lacrosse season in more than five years, after the Ducks on Sunday won their third straight to open this season, 16-9 over Marist at Papé Field.
The UO women are 3-0 for the first time since 2018, when the Ducks won four straight to open the year. All three wins so far this season have come at home, under first-year coach and program alum Jessica Drummond.
"We talked about, when season came, how much it meant to alumni and just building a tradition of protecting Papé," Drummond said. "When you step out on this field, giving all you can to make sure you get that win. For me, I was so proud of them in that game to be like, we started the season off right defending Papé — this is our home turf, and setting the tone right for the season is awesome."
Morgan McCarthy and Anna Simmons each scored five times Sunday, and McCarthy dished out two assists. Rachel Pallo won 12 draw controls, breaking the UO single-game record she set just nine days earlier.
"It just shows that we worked hard all offseason," McCarthy said of the 3-0 start. "And that it's so possible if we put the pieces together, just come together as a team, pay attention to the little things, little details — we're big on the little things, discipline — it just shows that if you stay true to it, it's gonna happen."
How It Happened: Helped by Pallo's dominance on draws, the Ducks controlled play from the start — by halftime they led 11-3 in draws, fueling a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal. McCarthy and Simmons each scored twice in the opening period, and Lauren Rismani assisted on a goal by Madysyn Sweeney before Rismani herself scored later in the period.
Goals from McCarthy and Sweeney made it 8-3 in the second. Then, after Marist scored with six seconds left before halftime, Simmons scored the fastest goal in UO history, sneaking one in before the half ended for a 9-4 lead.
Thayer Hubbard took over in goal for the Ducks at halftime, and had four of her five saves in the third. McCarthy, Simmons and Katie Collins scored in the period, giving Oregon a 12-6 lead entering the fourth. After Marist closed within 12-8, the Ducks scored four straight — by McCarthy, Haley Cummins, Simmons and Riley Taylor — to take a commanding lead.
An area to clean up, Drummond said afterward, will be the 14 fouls the Ducks committed in the second half, compared to five in the first.
"I'm proud of the first half, of being that disciplined, and now getting us to do that for 60 minutes is going to be key for us," she said.
Oregon now heads out on the road for the first time, to play at Rider on Friday and at Rutgers on Sunday, before opening another three-game homestand back at Papé Field on March 6. That homestand will conclude with the first Pac-12 match of the season, against California on March 16.
"We talked a lot this week of trusting the game plan, believing in ourselves and going as hard as we can," Drummond said. "I think they did that in these past three games, and that's gonna set the tone of what it's going to feel like — how it feels to win and what it takes to win, that all the effort and the little things and all the details really matter. So seeing them be able to have those wins under their belt going into a couple more games before conference starts is awesome."
Up Next: The Ducks play at Rider on Friday at noon.
The UO women are 3-0 for the first time since 2018, when the Ducks won four straight to open the year. All three wins so far this season have come at home, under first-year coach and program alum Jessica Drummond.
"We talked about, when season came, how much it meant to alumni and just building a tradition of protecting Papé," Drummond said. "When you step out on this field, giving all you can to make sure you get that win. For me, I was so proud of them in that game to be like, we started the season off right defending Papé — this is our home turf, and setting the tone right for the season is awesome."
Morgan McCarthy and Anna Simmons each scored five times Sunday, and McCarthy dished out two assists. Rachel Pallo won 12 draw controls, breaking the UO single-game record she set just nine days earlier.
"It just shows that we worked hard all offseason," McCarthy said of the 3-0 start. "And that it's so possible if we put the pieces together, just come together as a team, pay attention to the little things, little details — we're big on the little things, discipline — it just shows that if you stay true to it, it's gonna happen."
How It Happened: Helped by Pallo's dominance on draws, the Ducks controlled play from the start — by halftime they led 11-3 in draws, fueling a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal. McCarthy and Simmons each scored twice in the opening period, and Lauren Rismani assisted on a goal by Madysyn Sweeney before Rismani herself scored later in the period.
Goals from McCarthy and Sweeney made it 8-3 in the second. Then, after Marist scored with six seconds left before halftime, Simmons scored the fastest goal in UO history, sneaking one in before the half ended for a 9-4 lead.
Thayer Hubbard took over in goal for the Ducks at halftime, and had four of her five saves in the third. McCarthy, Simmons and Katie Collins scored in the period, giving Oregon a 12-6 lead entering the fourth. After Marist closed within 12-8, the Ducks scored four straight — by McCarthy, Haley Cummins, Simmons and Riley Taylor — to take a commanding lead.
An area to clean up, Drummond said afterward, will be the 14 fouls the Ducks committed in the second half, compared to five in the first.
"I'm proud of the first half, of being that disciplined, and now getting us to do that for 60 minutes is going to be key for us," she said.
Oregon now heads out on the road for the first time, to play at Rider on Friday and at Rutgers on Sunday, before opening another three-game homestand back at Papé Field on March 6. That homestand will conclude with the first Pac-12 match of the season, against California on March 16.
"We talked a lot this week of trusting the game plan, believing in ourselves and going as hard as we can," Drummond said. "I think they did that in these past three games, and that's gonna set the tone of what it's going to feel like — how it feels to win and what it takes to win, that all the effort and the little things and all the details really matter. So seeing them be able to have those wins under their belt going into a couple more games before conference starts is awesome."
Up Next: The Ducks play at Rider on Friday at noon.
Team Stats
MARIST
ORE
Shots
21
33
Turnovers
17
15
Caused Turnovers
11
10
Draw Controls
6
22
Free-Position Shots
3
5
Ground Balls
22
17
Game Leaders
Players
G
5
A
2
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
4
CT
1
G
5
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
1
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
1
A
3
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
4
CT
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Women's LacrosseM
/ Women's Lacrosse
M
/ Women's LacrosseA
/ Women's LacrosseM
/ Women's LacrosseM
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
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