Ducks Make History with Four All-Region Picks
EUGENE, Ore. – A program record-setting four student-athletes were named to the United Soccer Coaches all-Pacific Region teams on Monday, including the inaugural first team selection for Oregon.
The owner of four school records, goalkeeper Leah Freeman became the first Duck named to the all-Pacific Region first team.
Forward Ally Cook was a second team selection, while midfielder Zoe Hasenauer and defender Croix Soto were third team picks.
The four Ducks were key performers on a team that posted Oregon's best record – 9-4-6 – in 15 years and secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 40 years. Oregon's tie for fifth in the Pac-12 was the Ducks' highest conference finish since coming in second in 2006.
Prior to this season, Oregon had just two prior all-Pacific Region honorees: Nicole Garbin in 2006 and Scout Libke in 2011. Both were second team selections.
Leah Freeman, So., GK, Berkeley, Calif., ALL-PACIFIC REGION FIRST TEAM
An all-Pac-12 first team selection, Freeman led the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally with a school-record nine shutouts in 2021. She was named Pac-12 player of the week twice; the first came after a shutout at No. 3 UCLA and the second followed back-to-back shutouts of Arizona and Arizona State. She made six saves versus UCLA and was one of only two goalkeepers to shutout the Bruins in 2021. She matched her season high with eight saves in the Ducks' 1-0 win over ASU.
Freeman ranked third in the Pac-12 in both goals against average (0.87) and save percentage (.839). The goals against average is the third-best in program history. She had a scoreless minutes streak of 449:59, second-longest in program history, in September during which, she posted four consecutive shutouts (Portland, Portland State, UCLA, California). Her eight goalkeeper wins in 2021 was one shy of the program record. She also ranked second in the Pac-12 in saves (4.59 per game).
In addition to the season shutout record (nine) Freeman also owns UO records for scoreless minutes streak (471:54), lowest goals against average (0.74) and fewest goals allowed (12) in a single season, all of which she set as a freshman.
In just two years, Freeman already ranks fourth in UO career shutouts (14), sixth in wins (13) and eighth in saves (140). She was also named to the 2021 CoSIDA academic all-District 8 first team.
Ally Cook, Jr., F, Coto de Caza, Calif., ALL-PACIFIC REGION SECOND TEAM
An all-Pac-12 third team forward, Cook led the Ducks with eight goals in 2021. She also led the team in points (20) and shots (70). She became just the fourth Duck in program history with a 20-point season, joining Garbin, Jen Stoltenberg and Chalise Baysa. She scored twice in the season opener versus Fresno State and had the game-winner Aug. 29 against Northern Arizona.
Her most memorable score of the season came Oct. 24 at Utah, where she beat the Utes' goalkeeper one-on-one to give Oregon a 1-0 victory in double-overtime. Half of Cook's eight goals came on the road – Baylor, Stanford, Colorado, Utah. She ranked fifth in the Pac-12 by attempting 3.68 shots per game.
On the Oregon career lists, Cook is seventh in goals (17), fourth in game-winning goals (8), seventh in points (39) and seventh in shots (146). She was also named to the 2021 CoSIDA academic all-District 8 second team.
Zoe Hasenauer, Sr., M, Simi Valley, Calif., ALL-PACIFIC REGION THIRD TEAM
Hasenauer tied for the team lead in assists with five. She ranked tied for second on the team in points with 13 (4 goals, 5 assists) and second in shots (34). Hasenauer scored the game-winning goals against at Texas and Portland State. She was named Pac-12 player of the week after the Ducks' 1-0-1 road trip to the state of Texas where she had a goal in the 87th minute against the Longhorns and an assist versus Baylor.
The 2020 all-Pac-12 third team selection is tied for second in UO career assists (16), is sixth in shots (154) and ninth in points (36). She was also named to the 2021 CoSIDA academic all-District 8 second team.
Hasenauer has announced her intention to utilize the NCAA's Covid-19 waiver and return to the Ducks next fall for her fifth season.
Croix Soto, Jr., D, Pasadena, Calif., ALL-PACIFIC REGION THIRD TEAM
An all-Pac-12 second team selection at center back, Soto helped Oregon hold the opposition to less than a goal a game, 0.97, which was the fourth-best defensive season in program history. She started and played every minute of the Ducks' school-record nine shutouts in 2021. She attempted two shots on the year. Over the past two seasons, she has missed just one of Oregon's 35 games and played every minute of the other 34.
She was also named to the 2021 CoSIDA academic all-District 8 second team.
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