Ducks Announce 2021 Soccer Schedule
EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon soccer program will return to the field with a full slate of games for the fall season and at least nine of those matches will be broadcast by Pac-12 Network. The Conference released the 2021 schedule on Tuesday.
"We're very excited to get back on the field for the fall season and play a more traditional format," said head coach Graeme Abel. "This schedule presents a number of challenges both in conference and in the nonconference and how well we handle those challenges from match to match will determine how successful we are this season."
The Ducks will open the 2021 season with an exhibition against Corban College on Aug. 13. That match is just 45 days away.
Regular season play begins on Aug. 19, when Oregon hosts Fresno State. The Ducks then visit San Francisco on Aug. 22 before hosting Northern Arizona on Aug. 29 and UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 3.
Oregon takes a trip to the Lone Star State to meet Texas Sept. 9 and Baylor Sept. 12. The Ducks will face a pair of in-state opponents to close out the nonconference schedule. Oregon will host Portland on Sept. 17 and play at Portland State on Sept. 19.
The Ducks open Pac-12 play at defending conference champion UCLA on Sept. 24 and remain in the Golden State to face California on Sept. 30 and Stanford on Oct. 3.
Oregon then hosts three matches in a row at Pape' Field. Arizona visits Eugene on Oct. 7, Arizona State on Oct. 10 and USC on Oct. 14.
The Ducks leave the state for the last time to play at Colorado on Oct. 21 and Utah on Oct. 24.
The final home weekend begins with Oregon hosting Washington State on Oct. 28. The match with the Cougars will be Oregon's fourth in five games against 2020-21 NCAA Tournament teams (ASU, USC, Colorado).
The Ducks finish the home season Oct. 31 against Washington, while they will head to Corvallis to wrap up the regular season Nov. 5 against Oregon State.
Nine of Oregon's 11 Pac-12 games will be broadcast by Pac-12 Network, which is the most ever television selections for the Ducks. The two that will not be carried are the Oct. 21 Colorado and Oct. 31 Washington matches. Additional nonconference matches may be added to the Pac-12's television schedule next week. All home games not on Pac-12 Network will be live streamed.
Oregon will return all 11 starters from a 2020-21 season that saw the program post its first winning record (6-5-5) since 2006. The Ducks were one of the best defensive teams in the conference. Oregon set a program record with a 0.69 goals against average and held all but one opponent – Pac-12 champion UCLA – to one goal or less.
Midfielder Zoe Hasenauer, center back Croix Soto and goalkeeper Leah Freeman were all named to the all-Pac-12 third team as Freeman became the first Duck keeper in program history to be named to an all-conference team. Freeman set the UO individual record for goals against average at 0.74 goals allowed per game and was also named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team.