On Sunday, Sept. 11, at Hofstra Soccer Stadium, the University of Oregon Ducks surmounted rainy conditions to defeat the Hofstra women’s soccer team by a score of 1-0, handing Hofstra its first home loss this season. This win snapped a five-game winless streak for the Ducks in the process.
“It’s actually the first game I’ve been quite happy with the performance from our team,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “Today I thought we gave Oregon as much as they could handle.”
Both teams struggled to generate an attack throughout the opening minutes of action.
Throughout the first half, the tone of the game was rough and boisterous, much like the weather itself. Both sides brought a great deal of physicality to their game plan, with each team combining for a total of 30 fouls in the contest. The Pride got the better of the chances early on, outshooting their adversaries 3-1 in the first half.
Nonetheless, Oregon made the most of their only shot before halftime, as forward Lexi Romero scored the game’s lone goal in the 38th minute. The goal came as the result of a set piece from freshman Ajanae Respass, who made a series of dribbles to get around the Hofstra defense prior to her assist.
The theme of the match was Hofstra not being able to capitalize on key chances, as they were held scoreless despite outshooting Oregon 6-5.
“We need a bit more focus,” Riddiough said. “A bit more technical ability in that final third, and we would’ve won that game 2-1 or 3-1.”
Hofstra’s inability to find the back of the net was also a byproduct of Oregon goalkeeper Leah Freeman’s performance.
The sophomore currently leads the PAC-12 in saves, as she added six more to her total on Sunday night. The Pride picked up its attack in the second half, creating several marquee chances in the final minutes, but Freeman held firm for her second shutout of the year.
Though they suffered their first home loss of the season on Sunday, the Pride still has four straight matchups in front of the home crowd coming up. The Pride will continue its season at Hofstra Soccer Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 15, when they host the Princeton University Tigers at 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Neil Miller/Hofstra Athletics