Ducks Remain Undefeated

WACO, Texas – Oregon counted goals from Ally Cook and Kess Elmore and remained unbeaten on the season following a 2-2 tie with Baylor Sunday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
 
For just the second time in the modern era of the program, the Ducks (3-0-3) are undefeated through the first six matches of a season.
 
How It Happened: Oregon's early pressure payed off with a goal in the seventh minute. Mia Palmer crossed a ball in from the right side that found Cook at the near post. Cook then headed a ball that deflected off Baylor goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt and a Baylor defender into the net for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.
 
The Ducks took a 2-0 advantage in the 60th minute when Zoe Hasenauer sent a long ball from midfield up the left side to Elmore, who got behind the defense and slipped the ball under Wandt for her first score as a Duck.
 
Less than a minute after Oregon's Lexi Romero was sent off with her second yellow card, giving Baylor an 11-on-10 advantage, the Bears cut the lead to 2-1 on Mackenzie Anthony's goal in the 82nd minute.
 
The Ducks appeared to have secured a 2-1 win after Leah Freeman saved a penalty kick off the foot of Baylor's Chloe Japic with :02 remaining. But the ball deflected off Freeman, bounced twice to Japic who fired the ball past Freeman into the net to tie the game before the final horn. It was the latest in program history that an opponent had scored a goal in regulation.
 
Oregon regrouped to prevent Baylor from scoring in overtime and nearly won it on Cook's shot to the far post in the 118th minute that Wandt had to make a diving save on.
 
Who Stood Out: Hasenauer and Elmore had a productive weekend for the Ducks. Both players had a goal and an assist on the Ducks' Texas road trip.
 
What It Means: With 16 goals in 2021, Oregon has now surpassed last season's total of 14 in just six games.
 
Quotable
Head Coach Graeme Abel
"I thought our kids were magnificent tonight. To go toe to toe and into overtime versus a very good opponent and put ourselves in a great position to win the game was a real positive. For us to rebound from adversity and still see it out against a team who had the advantage of this being their only game of the weekend shows the character and pure grit of this team. We will learn many lessons from this weekend that will help us long into the fall."
 
Notable: Freeman was credited with five of her season-high eight saves in the first overtime … Hasenauer's assist was the 15th of her career, tying Nicole Garbin (2001-06) for third on the UO career list … Cook's goal was the 14th of her career (seventh all-time) … Chardonnay Curran played in her 79th career game, which moved her one away from tying the school record of 80 held by five players … The Ducks' 3-0-3 record is their best start to a season since going 5-0-1 in 2016 … Oregon has never been undefeated through its first seven matches in the modern era.
 
Up Next: Oregon returns to Eugene to host Portland Friday at 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Live Stream).
 
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