Ducks Face Penn State Sunday To Wrap Home Stretch

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon lacrosse will face Penn State for the first time ever on Sunday afternoon at Papé Field to close UO's four-game homestand.

GAME INFO
When: Sunday, March 23
Where: Papé Field | Eugene, Ore.
Time: 1 p.m. PT
Watch: Big Ten Network
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=574210

COMMANDING THE CENTER CIRCLE
The Ducks have dominated the draw control battle so far this season, holding a 143-94 edge thanks in large part to the stellar play of Rachel Pallo. The junior has totaled 66 DCs in her first nine games after totaling 64 a season ago, the fifth most in a single season in program history. She tied her own program record with 12 draw controls in the win over Columbia as the Ducks held a 21-4 advantage for the game.

» Tallied at least five DCs in eight of nine games and recorded 10-plus three times.
» Pallo moved up to fourth in program history with 157 DCs after nabbing seven against Rutgers, passing Jana Drummond, twin sister of head coach Jessica Drummond.
» Though she lacks the games played necessary to qualify yet, her 3.82 draw controls per game through 41 games would be the most in program history. Carly O'Connell currently holds the UO record at 2.90.
» Both Anna Simmons and Kristiana Strtak tallied a career-high six draw controls against San Diego State as the Ducks held a 29-11 edge in the game.
» Lexi Jenkins recorded a career-high five draw controls against Cal and has tallied three or more DCs four times this season.

ONE-TWO PUNCH
The UO offensive attack is led by a pair of 20 goal scorers in Anna Simmons and Bri Carrasquillo. Simmons scored 20 goals in the first four games of the season - the most in any four game stretch in program history - and tied the program record with seven goals against Stetson. Carrasquillo has scored 13 of her 22 goals in the last four games, including a career-high six against San Diego State. Both rank in the top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring (Simmons - 25 goals, T4; Carrasquillo - 22 goals, T7).

» Simmons was named the Big Ten Midfielder of the Week each of the first three weeks of the season and is the only player in the nation with 25-plus goals, 20-plus ground balls and 15-plus caused turnovers.
» Carrasquillo leads the Ducks in points (27), ranking second on the team in goals (22) and assists (5).
» Simmons set career highs against Central Michigan with seven ground balls and five caused turnovers.
» Both Carrasquillo and Gabby Santucci matched or set new career highs in goals against both UC Davis and San Diego State.

DEFEND PAPÉ FIELD
The motto for head coach Jessica Drummond since her arrival last season has been to "Defend Papé Field" and the 2025 Ducks are doing just that. After winning a record seven games at home in 2024, Oregon secured a 5-0 start on its home turf for just the third time in program history with the come-from-behind win over San Diego State, joining the 2024 and 2012 squads as the only teams to start the home slate with five wins. The Ducks have drooped the last two home contests, both to Big Ten opponents making their first trips to Eugene, but the Ducks are outscoring opponents 93-69 at Papé Field and holding visitors to 9.8 goals per game while causing 56 turnovers.

» 21 of Anna Simmons' 25 goals have come on her home field.
» The 2024 Ducks held opponents under eight goals 10 times after doing so just three times in the three seasons prior. This year's squad has done so four times, each at Papé Field.
» Oregon had only allowed three goals or less two times since 2018 before doing so against Central Michigan.
» Coach Drummond has been a part of every 5-0 home start, having been a senior on the 2012 team that took home Oregon's first and only conference title.

CAME OUT OF THE GATES FIRING
Oregon started the 2025 season red-hot, outscoring nonconference opponents by a combined 103-69 margin. The Ducks' +34 goal differential through the first seven games ranked fourth in the Big Ten behind only No. 3 Northwestern, No. 5 Michigan and No. 20 USC. UO was especially dangerous in the first half of games during the nonconference slate, as they outscored opponents by a combined 62-34 margin in the opening 30 minutes.

» The quick-strike offense off the opening draw has proved to be effective for UO, as the Ducks scored the first goal in six of seven noncon games and did so in under a minute five times, with three of those coming in the first 15 seconds of play.
» The Ducks have scored 15 or more goals four times this season, all against non-Big Ten foes.

NOTES ON THE NITTANY LIONS
Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the Ducks and Nittany Lions and is Oregon's first of three new opponents in their next four games. After reaching the Big Ten title game a season ago, Penn State has gotten off to a 2-7 start this season and enters Sunday's contest on a six-game losing streak. Erika Ho leads PSU with 24 goals while Kelly MacKinney paces the team with 21 assists. Sydney Manning has manned the crease for most of the season and sports a 2-4 record, totaling 43 saves with a .374 save percentage.