Cougars Take a Bite Out of Ducks, 2-1

Allie Rodriguez scored her first-career goal Thursday night at BYU. Photo Courtesy: goducks.com

(PROVO, Utah) — BYU (3-3-2) defeated Oregon (4-3-1) 2-1 Thursday night in Provo, Utah, at South Field in what was a hard-fought contest that saw Allie Rodriguez score her first-career goal as a Duck in the 30th minute.

How It Happened:

Oregon began the game by dictating possession in much of the first half. The Ducks’ lone goal of the game came off a Lilly Archer corner that originally seemed like it might be cleared by the BYU defense. The ball leaked out to Allie Rodriguez, and the senior hammered a shot from 30 yards out into the back of the net to give Oregon the lead, 1-0. The Ducks went into the locker room at halftime and were outshot by the Cougars 8-5, but Oregon earned seven corners to BYU’s one.

BYU came out in the first five minutes of the second half and quickly established more of an offensive presence. The Cougars’ Ashley Hatch drew a penalty in the box in the 50th minute, and Marissa Nimmer provided the equalizer by converting the penalty kick, drawing BYU even with the Ducks, 1-1.

The Ducks were able to stave off BYU’s push for the next 25 minutes, but the Cougars’ Madie Lyons curled a ball from 25 yards out over the reach of Abby Steele to give the home team the lead for good, 2-1, in the 76th minute. The Ducks’ best chance to draw even came in the 81st minute when Kira Wagoner received an Archer pass outside the box on the left side, but she was unable to get good contact on the shot and her attempt missed wide.

What It Means:

Oregon’s contest with BYU was their last non-conference game of the season. The Ducks now prep for Pac-12 play and get ready to welcome Washington next week to Pape Field on Thursday, Sep. 25 at 4:00 p.m.

Home Field Advantage:

The Cougars’ South Field has a reputation for consistently being in the top-10 of the NCAA for women’s soccer attendance, and the BYU faithful did not disappoint. The total attendance was 3,871, and every fan was clad in dark blue.

Rose To The Challenge:

In the same vein, the Ducks met the raucous crowd head-on and played one of their best first halves of the year. Oregon produced a season-best seven corners and the Duck defense along with Steele shut down all of BYU’s scoring opportunities.

Fouls, High Intensity:

With the intense crowd comes ramped up energy, and both teams went at each other all night. There were a combined 29 fouls (Oregon 17, BYU 12) and three yellow cards (Oregon 2, BYU 1). The Ducks competed all night and never backed down from what was their toughest road test of the season.

Rodriguez Goal:

The senior from Pleasanton, Calif., hit an absolute strike for her first goal of her career. After making contact with the ball she instantly collided with a BYU player, but when she looked up, the ball was in the back of the net and she was mobbed by her teammates.

Next Up:

The Ducks will open their Pac-12 slate a week from today when they host Washington on Thursday, Sep. 25 at 4:00 p.m. at Pape Field.

Source: goducks.com