Early Goal Gets Ducks Back On Track

EUGENE, Ore. — Chardonnay Curran scored in the third minute and Leah Freeman tied Oregon's single-season record for shutouts as the Ducks beat Arizona at Papé Field on Thursday, 1-0.

Coming off the first loss of the season, the UO women bounced back quickly as Eden Hardy set up Curran for her third career game-winning goal three minutes into the game. Though the Ducks generally controlled play the rest of the way they didn't score again, but Freeman made the lead stand up with two saves for her seventh shutout of the season.

"We've done a good job this season of scoring early in games, especially here at Papé," UO coach Graeme Abel said. "When we've got a team set up like that we've got to go on and score the second and the third, so that's learning for us. But happy in a great goal, a really good team goal."

How It Happened: The Ducks (7-1-4, 2-1-1) controlled possession early and wasted little time putting Sunday's loss at Stanford behind them. Ally Cook set up Hardy with a ball off Cook's head to start the scoring play, and Hardy sent it across the 18-yard box to Curran for the finisher.

"That started with Eden," Curran said. "I saw the pace on the ball and was like, if I don't put that way that's like, shame on me. That's all Eden, with that pace on the pass."

Curran had another chance late in the first half, when she got behind the defense and was 1-on-1 with the Arizona keeper. Her shot from the right side of the goal box was wide of the far post, and the score was 1-0 at halftime.

Another cross by Hardy just after halftime was flicked just wide by Cook in the 49th minute. In the 74th minute, Chai Cortez sent a throw-in that Cook headed into the middle of the box, where Jordan Wormdahl chipped it toward the post. Arizona keeper Hope Hisey made the save, one of three she had on the night.

Arizona had seven shots in the match, requiring two saves by Freeman, both in the second half.

Notable: Cook's assist moved her into a tie for ninth in career points for the Ducks with 33. … Mia Palmer made her 81st career appearance, second-most in UO history behind Curran. … Cortez returned to the lineup and played all 90 minutes after leaving Sunday's match early.

Up Next: The Ducks host Arizona State on Sunday (noon, Pac-12 Network).