Oregon women’s soccer protected Papé Field Sunday evening in an impressive 3-0 victory over the Stephen F. Austin State Ladyjacks. For the Ducks, this win meant maintaining their undefeated record, while the Ladyjacks have yet to find their first win.

Previously in the 2016 season, Oregon head coach Kat Mertz said that a major factor in any game is which team scores first.

Her squad took that to heart, scoring in the fifth minute of Sunday’s match. Veteran midfielder Maryn Beutler took the shot unassisted from the top of the 18.

Soon after, in the 15th minute, junior defender Mia Costa delivered a goal from the corner, chipping the ball to the opposite side of the goal. She was assisted by Jayne Lydiatt and Caitlyn Wong from downfield.

“We can’t create those shots if we don’t have good attacking shape,” Mertz said. “I think it’s all around a good team effort. You let those forwards do what they do, and then Mia Costa got a goal. I mean look at that- that’s awesome.”

The Ducks weren’t done. In the 54th minute, freshman Artrea Williams passed the ball to junior Miranda Schulz, who lobbed it over the Ladyjacks’ goalkeeper, Lillie Ehlert, for the goal.

Oregon finished with 12 shots on goal from nine different players. Twenty-one of the squad’s 29 athletes saw playing time.

Oregon goalkeepers Halla Hinriksdottir and Katelyn Carter split the game at 45 minutes each, and finished with a combined three saves. The Ladyjacks only took three shots on goal in the game.

“They both bring something different to the field,” Mertz said of her two starting keepers. “Halla’s got great leadership and experience, and has been playing last year in the Pac-12, and Katelyn’s got just a fresh presence about her- her distribution and her ability to pick balls off in the air.

As a former goalkeeper I’m just having fun watching them both make each other better.”

Sunday’s win against the Ladyjacks marks the second consecutive shutout completed by the duo.

Just four games into the season, the Ducks have now had half a dozen individual players score one or more goals. Comparatively, they only had a total of nine players score one or more goals for the entire 2015 season.

Still undefeated, the Ducks’ “#Revolution” mindset seems to be in full effect. Mertz explained that the team has been diligently working on just about every aspect of the game, including approaching practice with an enthusiastic mindset and cheering on their teammates’ successes.

“Little things make the big things happen,” she said. “It’s a revolution, and it does take some momentum behind it. We’ll take that momentum and prepare, one game at a time.”

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Nebraska’s women’s soccer squad flew into Eugene with a perfect 2-0-0 record. Members of the illustrious Big Ten conference — from which reigning national champions from Penn State hail — the Cornhuskers finished their 2015 season with only two losses. The Ducks had never been able to secure a win against any squad from this conference.

That all changed Friday evening at Papé field.

Oregon junior Abby Morrow scored her first goal of the season in the 63rd minute, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the Ducks. She was assisted by senior Ashlee Schulz and sophomore Bayley Bruner. The consistently vocal Oregon bench could be heard from the farthest spot in the parking lot.

“Timing is everything,” Morrow said. “It all came from a beautiful ball by Ashlee finding Bayley, and I know that Bayley is as fast as lightening so I needed to be there for her ball coming across the face of the goal. I wanted everyone’s hard work to pay off.”

The Ducks finished with nine shots on goal, three of which belonged to Morrow. Ashlee Schulz, Maryn Beutler, Kyra Fawcett, Marissa Everett, Miranda Schulz, and Jessica Yu accounted for one a piece.

“We have always been told that you won’t score if you don’t shoot, so the more chances on goal we can get then the better the chances of winning are,” Morrow said.

Nebraska drew two yellow cards in the match, one in the 62nd minute and another in the 77th.

Oregon also played nearly flawless defense throughout the game. Goalkeepers Halla Hinriksdottir and Katelyn Carter split the game time, finishing with a combined five saves while shutting out Nebraska.

“I was really proud to get a shutout. Both goalkeepers played well,” Oregon head coach Kat Mertz said. “[Defensive coach Katie Hultin] gets a lot out of her players, so just the growth between Halla and Katelyn Carter over these 25 days…it was awesome.”

Mertz explained that she and the team watched video footage in order to analyze what Nebraska would be susceptible to. They decided to use the “space behind” since Nebraska played a high line. Mertz also revealed that her team has been working on over-hitting, while runners take advantage of getting behind the ball.

After a win and a tie on the road in Hawaii, the Ducks are now undefeated with a 2-0-1 record.

“I think [this win] does really well for the Pac 12 as a whole,” Mertz said. “It’s a great win and Nebraska played really well…they’re good at what they do.”

The Ducks will be back at Papé Sunday evening to battle Stephen F. Austin State University.

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The Eugene Emeralds dropped their second of a five game series against the Everett Aquasox Sunday evening at P.K. Park, with a final score of 4-1. The two ball clubs came into the game with identical records of 17-6.

“This may be a little preview of the playoffs,” Eugene assistant manager Gary Van Tol said.

Minimal offense occurred as both starting pitchers put on quite a show. Emeralds starter Erling Moreno only gave up three hits and one run in 5 innings pitched. Comparably, Everett’s Tim Viehoff held Eugene to two hits, two walks, and one run in 5.2 innings pitched.

Moreno had three straight three-up, three-down innings, and finished with one strikeout.

The outcome of the game was based solely on a few hearty swings that resulted in four home runs.

The Aquasox got on the board first in the top of the third when designated hitter Jose Leal sent one out of left field. In the bottom of the fifth, Trent Giambrone tied the game for the Emeralds, choosing the same spot for his home run.

Things turned south for the Emeralds in the top of the seventh. Though reliever Tyler Peitzmeier held the Aquasox to only three hits, it was enough for the visitors to get two more runs on the board. Third baseman Nick Zammarelli hit a single, and first baseman Kristian Brito was followed with a two run home run. This was the first of two homers by Brito, who sent one over left field in the top of the ninth as well.

Aquasox reliever Danny Garcia delivered a near-perfect performance in the ninth, giving up no hits and only one walk. The Emeralds finished with only one hit — Giambrone’s homer — in the game.

“[We] give them credit,” Von Tol said. “They made the most of their opportunities, and any good team will do that.”

He believes that an important aspect of tomorrow’s game against Everett will be which team scores first.

“We know its going to be a battle and we don’t expect anything less,” Von Tol said. “And that’s what we want. Especially going into the last couple weeks of the season — we want to be tested every day.”

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The Eugene Emeralds beat the Boise Hawks 3-2 at PK Park Wednesday evening, avoiding extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Eugene got on the board first, with a run by shortstop Zack Short in the sixth. Short got on base with a fielder’s choice to get Yeiler Peguero out, after he singled to lead off the inning. Short then stole second, and later scored on a double into right field by Chris Pieters. This was Pieters only hit of the game; he now has an average of .282 and 30 RBI on the season.

Boise clapped back in the seventh, scoring two, temporarily taking a 2-1 lead. Campbell Wear and Daniel Suero crossed the plate for the Hawks.

Without wasting any time, the Emeralds tied it back up, scoring one in the bottom of the seventh. After a drawn walk and a stolen base by Trent Giambrone, D.J. Wilson smacked a line drive, allowing Giambrone to score. Wilson was out at second.

The game remained tied until the second batter of the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Kevonte Mitchell doubled with a hit to right field, and later scored on a single by Giambrone.

Giambrone went 2 for 3 Wednesday evening, adding to his .267 season batting average. He has also accounted for 15 RBI.

Emeralds starting pitcher Dylan Cease was nothing less than stellar against the Hawks, striking out eight before being pulled in the fourth inning due to a rising pitch count. Duncan Robinson relieved him, lasting three innings and succeeding in keeping the Hawks off of the board.

Then, with two out in the top of the seventh, Josh Conway was brought in, who gave up three walks and two runs before striking out Jacob Bosiokovic to end the inning.

As soon as the eighth inning began, Tyler Peitzmeier replaced Conway, and had three-up, three-down in the eighth and ninth.

Eugene’s 13 game win streak, which began with a victory over Vancouver on August 5th, is the longest for the Emeralds so far this season. They will take on Boise again at home on Thursday at 7:05, where 6-0 starting pitcher Manuel Rondon will take the mound.

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Oregon women’s soccer kicked off its 2016 season with an exhibition game against the Portland State Vikings at home Friday evening, and came away with a 1-1 tie.

It seemed as though the Ducks had secured the win with a score of 1-0 until the 85th minute, when Portland State’s Breanne Chilton-Eddy scored off of an assist by Krystal De Ramos. The Ducks were shaken, and appeared to be in panic-mode for the final five minutes of play.

“They were trying to press and obviously get the game winner,” Oregon head coach Kat Mertz said. “It was getting a little bit choppy; we couldn’t find the ball, we couldn’t get a hold of it and we were getting anxious to score another goal.”

When the clock struck 90 minutes, both team’s coaches agreed to end the game rather than going into overtime, due to the heat. The entire game was played in over 90 degree weather.

Sophomore Marissa Everett scored Oregon’s only goal in the 70th minute, unassisted.

“She’s dynamic and crafty… her vision of the game is way ahead,” Mertz said. “I think Jessica Yu and her playing together is going to be a pretty dynamic duo.”

Oregon finished with 18 shot attempts, while Portland State only had five. The Ducks came into the second half aggressively, improving their ball movement and maintaining possession. During halftime, Mertz told her team to “simplify the game.”

“We like to put the opposition on their back foot,” sophomore midfielder Nicole Seaman said. “We obviously like to test the goalkeepers, and see what we can get out of it.”

Seaman played aggressive offense, accounting for two shots on goal. Senior Maryn Beutler, juniors Caitlyn Wong and Miranda Schulz, and sophomore Bayley Bruner all finished with two shots on goal as well. Marissa Everett finished with three.

The Ducks will now travel to Hawaii to face the University of Hawaii and Gonzaga on Aug. 19 and 21, where their games will now count towards their overall record. They will be back at Papé Field on Aug. 26 when they take on Nebraska at 4:30 p.m.

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The Ducks’ 2016 soccer season officially began Friday with a 1-1 draw in an exhibition match against Portland State, and the team is ready to start their “revolution.”

This is the nickname — and subsequent hashtag — that they have chosen to use when describing their intent for a comeback season, after finishing the 2015 season with a disappointing 6-13-0 record.

“I think this year we finally got it in our heads, and we’re just ready to work,” said senior midfielder Maryn Beutler. “I just really think that this is the year for us to make the [NCAA] tournament.”

Last season’s top scorers included midfielder Marissa Everett, who finished with four goals, and forward Kyra Fawcett, who finished with three. The duo, now sophomores, also scored eight points apiece last year, tying for first on the team.

Oregon’s roster is heavy with underclassmen: the Ducks signed eight freshmen from this year’s incoming class. Still, the camaraderie is evident as the seniors take on the role of mentoring the new faces on the team.

“If there’s any advice that I’ve been able to give these younger [players], it’s that you need every single one of these players on this team to work hard,” said Beutler. “And you need every single one of them to win a game, no matter what your role is on the team.”

Senior defender Ashlee Schulz said she works to remind her young teammates to have confidence in themselves.

“Just reminding them that they’re good enough to be here. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be here,” Schulz said.

Also new to the team is assistant coach Katie Hultin, who came to Eugene from the University of Illinois, where she worked with goalkeepers. With the Ducks, Hultin still specializes in defensive coaching. Last year, the Ducks finished eighth in the Pac-12 in goals allowed with 1.26 a game.

“Not only is her knowledge off the charts, but her ability to connect with her players in such a short amount of time has been really rewarding for me,” head coach Kat Mertz said.

The Ducks’ Pac-12 schedule begins on Sept. 24 when they play at Stanford. The Cardinals finished last season with a 19-2 record. USC went 15-6 in 2015. The two teams figure to be the conference’s toughest opponents.

“The Pac-12 is a beast,” Mertz said. “And it’s a fun beast. It’s awesome. I mean, that’s why all of these players — and coaches — made the choice to come be at the highest level.”

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The 2016 group of Oregon running backs will continue to be an unyielding powerhouse with the return of the nation’s fourth-leading rusher, junior Royce Freeman, along with Taj Griffin, Tony Brooks-James and Kani Benoit.

Freeman will be eligible for the NFL draft following this season, and could be in the running for the Heisman trophy if he completes another stellar season. The 230 pound all-purpose back from Imperial, Calif., was recently named to the Sports Illustrated pre-season All-American second team. He rushed for 1,836 yards last year alone, and is only 1,881 yards away from LaMichal James’ UO career record. He also averaged the most rushing yards per-game by an Oregon running back since James, at 141.2. Freeman led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns in 2015 with 17, and reached a career high of 246 total yards in one game, with 2 touchdowns against Washington State.

Oregon’s offense will run through Freeman, though he has plenty of talented backups waiting to fill in for him. Sophomore Taj Griffin averaged 7.4 yards per-carry in 2015 and finished with 570 yards on just 77 rushing attempts. Oregon offensive coordinator Matt Lubick spent much of the spring brainstorming how to get Griffin more involved in the offense, and Griffin often lined up at receiver during scrimmages.

Redshirt sophomore Tony Brooks-James is a speedy dual-sport athlete who is also a sprinter for Oregon track and field. He averaged nine yards per carry in 2015, earning 288 total yards in 32 attempts.

210-pound redshirt junior Kani Benoit is also in the mix. He finished the 2015 season with 364 rushing yards on 52 attempts.

Also behind Freeman are three walk-ons: redshirt seniors Jarret LaCoste and Lane Roseberry, and freshman Langston Stuckey, who’s only on-field experience was in the 2016 spring game where he rushed for 10 yards on 3 attempts.

There is still room to sign another walk-on to the rotation, as Oregon did not sign anyone new for the upcoming season.

Though Freeman will likely be the star standout this year, Oregon has plenty of athletes capable of filling in if they are needed. For now, Duck fans can look out for another potential Heisman, along with many other accolades, with the return of Royce Freeman.

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—On Friday, American professional track and field athletes competed in the first inaugural TrackTown Summer Series. The event was created to provide a track and field competition in the United States during the summer, when normally athletes would travel to Europe to compete. Oregon standout Devon Allen competed in the 110m hurdles.

—Attendance at the International Champions Cup match between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain only reached 24,147. When the event was planned to be held in Autzen Stadium, it was with hopes that it would sell. Autzen’s capacity is almost 60,000.

—Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup on Sunday. Serge Aurier of PSG scored 2 goals in a 3-1 victory.

—Sophomore point guard, Kendall Small, is reportedly transferring from the Oregon program. Small was formerly a four-star recruit. Oregon has picked up four-star point guard, Payton Pritchard, who was listed as ESPN’s 54th overall prospect in the class of 2017.

—A website, oregon2028.com, is proposing having the 2028 summer Olympics in Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis. The plan entails using Hayward field, Matthew Knight Arena, and Autzen Stadium for various events.

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Thursday night’s matchup between the Eugene Emeralds and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes was an offensive showdown, proving to be a challenging game for pitchers all around.

Ultimately, Eugene fell short and lost by a score of 5-4 to suffer its second straight loss and first series loss in almost two weeks.

Emeralds starting pitcher, Jesus Castillo, who now has a 3.27 ERA, lasted 3.1 innings and gave up six hits. Volcanoes starter, Garett Williams, was pulled after just 2.2 innings and gave up four hits. He now has a whopping 6.75 ERA.

Various relievers took over after the score had reached 4-2 in favor of Salem-Keizer in the middle of the third inning.

The outcome of the game ultimately came down to how many men were left on base; both teams left eight runners stranded.

In the eighth inning, while trailing 5-2, the Emeralds began a rally that revitalized their home crowd. The first batter up, Wladimir Galindo, smacked a home run into deep center field. Following Galindo was a single by designated hitter Jose Paniagua, and a walk by Kevonte Mitchell.

The momentum continued for the Emeralds when a wild pitch by Volcanoes reliever Kendry Melo allowed Paniagua and Mitchell to steal second and third. All of this occurred with no outs.

The next batter, second baseman Trent Giambrone, hit an RBI groundout to score Paniagua. The Volcanoes lead was cut to just 5-4, and PK Park was at its loudest point of the night.

However, in a two crucial at-bats with a man on third, the Emeralds could not deliver. Tyler Payne and D.J. wilson both popped the out for two consecutive outs, leaving the tying run on base. Wilson was visibly upset after he ended the inning.

Giambrone went 2-for-4 against the Volcanoes, while Paniagua went 1-for-4 and Mitchell went 1-for-3. Seven different Emeralds got hits on Thursday evening.

In their final attempt, in the bottom of the ninth, the Emeralds were three-up, three-down, and the score remained 5-4.

Eugene is now 1-2 in the second half of the season and will travel to Boise Friday for a three game series with the Boise Hawks.

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This Sunday, July 24th, Autzen Stadium will be roaring with the sound of soccer fans from all over the world joining together to attend an International Champions Cup match. F.C. Internazionale Milano (known also as “Inter Milan”) will be taking on Paris Saint-Germain, beginning at 2 p.m.

The International Champions Cup is a tournament that is designed to spread the popularity of soccer by sending top European soccer clubs to the United States, Australia and China for friendly matches. This year, 17 clubs are involved, 10 of which are playing in the United States.

“It will be more than just a soccer match; it will be a huge event,” University of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a press conference on April 5. “There will be people coming down. Its elite level athletics and I think it will really energize people just to come and see it. I think Autzen is a great setting for it.”

Inter Milan has been practicing at the University of Portland to prepare for its matchup with PSG. Although they finished fourth last season in Serie A, the top Italian league, the squad will be missing 10 players on Sunday.

“They are on holiday, playing in the European Championship, the American Cup,” Inter manager Roberto Mancini said. He remained optimistic, saying that he is confident that his team can play a good game.

Star forward Stevan Jovetić spoke fondly of the MLS and expressed his excitement to play his sport on a global platform.

“I think it’s great when the big teams are traveling around the world,” Jovetić said . “I think it helps [the growth of soccer] a lot because everywhere we have fans, and it’s good for them to meet the players.”

Jovetić also believes that the International Champions Cup is a great opportunity to face talented teams, which helps him and his teammates prepare for their regular season.

Inter Milan is one of the top teams in the Serie A Italian Football League. They have the second most Italian championships- tied with A.C. Milan- at eighteen, trailing their rival, Juventus, which has won thirty-two championships.

The last national championship that Inter Milan won was in the 2009-2010 season, and Mancini is ready to reclaim the title.

“We’re not magicians; we can only improve if we work hard,” Mancini said. “I think it’s important to be here, to play this game, and to play with different players.”

Sunday’s match will present the first time an event of this size has been held at Autzen since the rock band U2 played a show at the venue in 1997. It will also present a rare opportunity to witness two European powerhouses battle it out as they prepare for their respective seasons.

Follow Alexa Chedid on Twitter @alexachedid18