The Oregon women’s soccer team finally got to play a game in 2014 within the friendly confines of Papé Field as they played host to Saint Mary’s as part of the Nike Tournament Friday evening.

After a slow offensive outing from the Ducks in the first half, the floodgates opened in the second en route to a 2-0 victory.

Riley Smith got things going in the 62nd minute by slotting home a ricocheted ball that found its way to her feet from teammate Kristin Parr. The goal by Smith was her first as a Duck.

Oregon’s lead was doubled just two minutes later when Lily Archer was brought down in the box by a Saint Mary’s defender, earning a penalty kick. Archer took her own attempt, easily slipping it past Saint Mary’s sophomore goalie Julia McDonald.

With the victory Oregon (2-1-0) handed the Gaels both their first loss and goals allowed of the season. Previously Saint Mary’s had looked dominate in both a 2-0 win over Albany and a 4-0 victory against Saint Joseph’s.

Offensively for Oregon it was senior forward Bri Pugh who stood out. She was able to use her speed to consistently beat the Gael defenders on the outside of the field, sending in well-placed crosses to the feet of her teammates.

Defensively the Ducks did a good job containing Saint Mary’s star forwards. Coming into the game senior Vicki Shimkus had lead the Gaels with five points (one goal, three assists), however Oregon was able to stifle her, preventing Shimkus from getting positive touches in the attacking third.

Another bright spot for Oregon was sophomore Abby Morrow. Morrow made the most of her time of the field, making intelligent plays despite her relative lack of experience. While she didn’t score, Morrow was able to test the Gael defense with several good looks on goal.

With the victory in hand, Oregon will now turn their attention to Sunday as they conclude the Nike Tournament with a game against Loyola Marymount.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur