Oregon Daily Emerald
Friday, November 4, 2005
“It’s no different than my first time
in Tokyo: You!re driving on the wrong side
of the road and iVs hell. ”
Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre
on adjusting to a new offense
■ In my opinion
SHAWN MILLER
FULL-COURT PRESS
Ducks seek
redemption
against Cal
on Saturday
There was a numbing feeling pulsating
throughout my body almost a year ago after
watching Oregon nearly knock off the fourth
ranked Golden Bears in Berkeley, Calif.
It hurt so bad. I wanted to blame former Ore
gon wide receiver Keith Allen for dropping the
wide-open pass on fourth and long in Cal terri
tory during the final possession. But how could
I after he laid out for a 36-yjard reception on
fourth and three late in the fourth quarter to set
up Oregon’s winning touchdown two weeks
earlier at Stanford?
Then it was kicker Jared Siegel, who missed
an extra point in the first quarter which proved
to be the margin of victory for Cal. Siegel also
committed a personal foul during a kickoff
which moved Cal to midfield on one possession
during the game. But then again, how many
games did Siegel seal with a field goal?
While I was walking to my car, being taunt
ed by Cal fans, I came to two conclusions.
One: Oregon should have won that game and
the fact that they didn’t could not be blamed
on one single player. Two: The tables had
turned, and getting over a loss like that might
prove to be too much.
It was. The Ducks were embarrassed in their
final two games of the season, which turned
out to be Oregon’s first losing season since
1993. If they had won that game against a top
five opponent on the road, it would have made
them bowl eligible, and chances are they would
have taken care of business in those final two
games. Instead o^a 5-6 season, it could have
been 8-3 and a trip to a nice bowl venue.
So I have this message: I have been waiting
for you Cal. And I’m sure the Ducks have been
as well. You should have lost last season, and
with even more on the line this time around, I
don’t think you will come out victorious.
Should it matter that one of the best quarter
backs in school history won’t be able to play
Yeah, but there are plenty of other Ducks that
are ready for redemption.
The Ducks currently rank third in the Pacif
ic-10 Conference, allowing only 121.4 rushing
yards per game. Oregon has also given up
only seven rushing touchdowns, second best
in the conference.
Everything is on the line Saturday at Autzen
Stadium. Both teams have to win in order to
stay alive for a large bowl game. Without Kellen
Clemens under center, the Ducks will need to
rely on the motivation from last season’s loss
and the critics who say that Oregon can’t win
with Dennis Dixon as its starting quarterback.
Allen and Siegel graduated from the program
after last season, so the taste will remain bitter
in their mouths. However, there are plenty of
lettermen — 40 to be exact — who remember
the feeling and are out to erase it.
Cal’s win last year snapped a seven-game
losing streak to the Ducks. I can’t wait for Ore
gon to start a new winning streak over the
Bears, beginning Saturday.
smiller@ dailyemerald, com
■ Duck soccer
Ducks can score first winning year
Nicole Barker | Photographer
Midfielder Cristan Higa, one of the team's seven seniors, will play in her final two games this weekend against
the Bay Area schools. Higa is tied for 10th in school history with five career assists.
Oregon's season comes to a close
this weekend at home when the
Ducks face Cal and Stanford
BY SCOTTJ. ADAMS
SPORTS REPORTER
The Bay Area schools of the Pacific-10 Confer
ence come to Eugene this weekend to wrap up
the women’s soccer regular season. Oregon (9-7
1 overall, 1-6 conference) has already clinched at
least a .500 finish but, with a win or tie, can bid
farewell to its six seniors with the program’s first
winning season in school history.
Tonight at 5 p.m., I^o. 9 California (12-3-2
overall, 5-1-1 conference) takes the field against
the Ducks hoping to gain ground on conference
leader UCLA. The No. 4 Bruins are slightly ahead
of five teams all vying for at least a share of a Pa
cific-10 Conference title. Cal lost to UCLA last
weekend and is in dire need of a win today to stay
in the hunt.
First-year head coach Tara Erickson has guided
Oregon to its second .500 finish in school histo
ry. Last Sunday, Oregon came close to netting
their second conference win of the season against
Washington State losing 1-0 in overtime. Al
though she is pleased with the progress her team
has made this year, she would love to add a ma
jor upset of Cal to the Ducks’ resume.
“Our seniors are excited to be finishing .500,
and although our loss at Pullman was difficult to
take, we have moved on and can make up for it
against Cal. We’re still taking things one game at
a time,” Erickson said. “We have done even bet
ter than I anticipated. We haven’t won a lot of
games lately, but we are moving forward and
keeping a great attitude, and overall I’m really
happy and proud with the way we’ve played. ”
Leading the Ducks this weekend for the last
time are co-captains Katie Abrahamson and
Cristan Higa alongside fellow seniors Caitlin
Gamble, Domenique Lainez, Valerie Mayer and
Andrea Valadez. The captains have enjoyed their
final season at Oregon but aren’t letting career
ending emotion set in early, both are focused for
today’s game.
“I’m pumped for this game,” Abrahamson
said. “It’s my last start, I want to get another win
SOCCER, page 6A
■ Club women's rugby
This year, Dirty Ducks look to clean up
Oregon's women's rugby hopes to start a second
consecutive undefeated season on November 19
BY JACOB MAY
FREELANCE REPORTER
This year the women’s rugby
team, also known as the Dirty
Ducks, is looking to build off of its
success from last.year when it fin
ished with a perfect 9-0 regular sea
son, including 4-0 in league play.
Despite its perfect regular sea
son, UC Berkeley and eventual na
tional champion Stanford handed
the team two losses in the Regional
Women’s Collegiate Division I
Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif.
This season, the team is looking
to once again go undefeated and
make it to the Sweet 16 in the Na
tional Tournament.
In order to do so the team must
once again go through league oppo
nents Oregon State, Western Wash
ington and Reed.
The Pacific Northwest League is
adopting a new scheduling format
this year in which each league
member will play an opponent
twice, once at home, once away.
Each team will have its own home
game against every league member,
which is expected to make the
games more competitive.
Coach Justin Bergen is hoping
that returning seniors Ramey Mar
shall and All-American Krista Gust,
who is also on the under-23
Women’s National Team, provide
the leadership that the team needs
in order to reach its goals.
Currently the team has 26 mem
bers, and is always open to new
players, regardless of whether they
have any experience.
Bergen describes rugby as “a
combination of soccer and football
but without pads.” The team,
which carries only three seniors, is
trying to prepare the crop of young
talent to play at a competitive level.
Despite the prevalence of youth
on the team, optimism is high.
“We can come together as a
team and win,” sophomore Kata
Bahnsen-Reinhardt said.
Bergen believes that his team
will be able to defeat its opponents
because of a few intangibles.
“We’re better conditioned than
they are. We need to exploit their
weaknesses and to keep running
through them,” Bergen said. “We
Zane Rrrr | Photographer
Alexis Eudy,'left, Stephanie Hyde, center, and Kelly Simmons practice tackling drills at
Southbank field. The women’s rugby team completed last season.
need to run them into the ground.”
The team’s first game will be a
friendly scrimmage against West
ern Oregon on Nov. 5 in Mon
mouth. The team’s first league
game will be a home game against
Oregon State on Nov. 19, which,
according to Bergen, was the
team’s toughest match last year
when his team won 36-10.
After that, the club will not have
another league game until
February. Bergen believes his team
will be up for the challenge.
“We have plenty of new faces
learning the game, but we’ll be
ready,” Bergen said.
There is still an opportunity to
join the team. Practices are held
Tuesday and Thursday starting at
4 p.m. at Southbank Field The
team's Web site can be accessed
though the Oregon Club Sports
home page.