FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 31, 2023) – Proving to be the dominant team in tonight's Pac-12 matchup, NAU came out on top, bringing in a victory against the Oregon Ducks in a 3-2 battle at Lumberjack Stadium.
"I'm proud of the effort that was shown today, we played two games back-to-back with extreme effort against two quality Pac-12 opponents and I'm super proud of them," head coach
Alan Berrios said.
The Lumberjacks entered tonight's match with a 1-2-1 record, moving to 2-2-1 with four non-conference matches left on the slate. NAU wasted no time setting the pace in this one, quickly settling in and controlling ball possession from the start as free kicks proved to be crucial for both teams as the first three goals of the match came out of them.
Five minutes into the match, the Jacks received a free kick which
Trinity Corcoran took from her box, sending the ball past midfield for a perfect pass to
Kayla Shebar who picked up the ball off the bounce and sped through three Oregon defenders to score her first of the season. NAU's first goal of the night also marked Corcoran's first assist in her collegiate career.
Olivia Bos made her first collegiate start, coming in and quickly playing positive minutes as she had two pass breakups on the Lumberjacks back line in the first ten minutes of the game.
Oregon responded in the 10
th minute, as Callan Harrington put one in the back of the net from a free kick assist at midfield by Kristen Conti.
Focused on heading into halftime with the lead, freshman
Erin O'Connor stepped up for her first collegiate goal. NAU received another free kick just to the right of Oregon's box, calling on O'Connor to take the kick. O'Connor sent the ball in and began to make her way inside the box as Oregon attempted to clear the ball, the freshman picked up a deflection and found the back of the net through four Duck defenders.
Kicking off the second half, Oregon created back-to-back corner kick opportunities as NAU was able to clear both out and settle back into the match.
In what was a quieter second half for both programs, NAU's
Dai Williams looked for her chance just outside the box with a shot on goal as Oregon's keeper, Maddy Goldberg, was placed just in the right spot to pick up the save.
Ryann Reynolds tied things back up in the 74
th minute as Lauren Kenny sent a cross into the box and Reynolds got a head on it for the goal.
Showcasing the Lumberjacks determination and resilience,
Avery Ott put the game winner in just two minutes later, marking her first of the season. Ott put her footwork to the test while battling two Oregon defenders and quickly taking the left foot shot to find the back of the net.
"We talk about response a lot and we knew this was not going to be an easy game, when adversity hits, we have to be ready for it," Berrios said. "This team never gave up."
NAU will now head to Southern Utah to take on the Thunderbirds for the first time since SUU left the Big Sky Conference. The Jacks and T-Birds will kick off at 12 p.m. MST on Sunday.
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