With an impressive performance from senior duo Nikki Pruszcz and Shannon Propst, Oregon earned its second conference win, defeating the California Golden Bears 16-7 yesterday in Berkeley, Calif.

The pair combined for seven goals and Propst earned her 100th career goal and broke the all-time career-points record. Propst also tallied four assists.

The Bel Air, Md. native is only two points shy of becoming the 10th player in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation history to reach 200-career points.

“I was most pleased with the overall effort from our team,” head coach Jen Beck told GoDucks.com. “We had a great night from a couple of our seniors. Nikki, who had a stellar performance on offense and also Shannon’s record-breaking night, becoming the all-time point leader. All of that was great, but it was a great overall team effort on both ends of the field.”

The Ducks were solid from the start and had a 9-3 lead at halftime. Oregon came out strong in the second half with three straight goals and were able to control the first of the game to earn the win.

California committed 33 fouls compared to Oregon’s 11.

Oregon outshot the Golden Bears 32-21 for the game and goalie Caroline Federighi had six saves, three which were vital in the first half.

“I was most pleased about how everyone stepped up when they needed to, especially the defense,” Beck said. “The moments where our defense collapsed, Caroline stepped up when she needed to and made those crucial stops that helped us get the win.”

Freshmen Bella Pyne and Rachel Steinberg combined scored three goals for the Ducks.

Oregon will play another MPSF conference game in the Bay Area before heading back to Eugene. The Ducks take on St. Mary’s at noon this Sunday.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

After the conclusion of Oregon’s third spring practice, offensive coordinator Scott Frost had mainly positive things to say about his squad as they get back into the swing of things.

Frost noted the leadership of Bralon Addison, as well as the strength of Marcus Mariota and the improvement of Thomas Tyner.

Frost also spoke about the bright future at the tight end position, as three of the Ducks’ tight ends have previous experience.

“I think all of them made improvements in the offseason. That is one of many spots of offense where we have a lot of experience and expect a lot of things out of them,” Frost said.

Tight end Johnny Mundt said that without a doubt he is more comfortable in the program entering his sophomore year.

“Just being around the program longer, knowing how things work, I am getting closer to all the players,” Mundt said. “Also, I am putting on some weight and just knowing the playbook more. It’s all just coming together really well.”

Mundt added that personally he is not exactly where he wants to be at his position and is looking to improve.

“I am really not satisfied with any part of my game right now, ” Mundt said. “I want to raise the bar in every aspect of playing tight end and every day I am just working on getting better.”

Entering his second year as offensive coordinator, Frost stated that no major changes have been made in terms of spring practice.

“Obviously we are not going to change the structure of what we do and the basis of what we do,” Frost said. “We are just changing little things we do here and there to make sure we get the most out of practice.”

Although the spring practices for the most part have not been altered, the second-year coordinator did mention that there could be a change in the game plan of the offense.

“Last year because we had some guys in new position, myself included, what we did last year was essentially the same as what we did the year before,” Frost said. “But I think if you are not evolving, people are catching up to you. So I imagine that there will be more wrinkles this year than were added last year.”

Frost also added that he feels more comfortable now as the offense coordinator.

“The game’s moving a little slower than it did last year at this point,” Frost joked.

When asked if he thought if Frost was more comfortable as coordinator now in his second year, Helfrich said that you never want to get comfortable but thinks Frost is more efficient in practice.

“He did a great job last year and will continue to get better,” head coach Mark Helfrich said.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

As the men’s club lacrosse team kicked off its season this year, the men knew of one major challenge they would face — a lack of experience. This is a rebuilding year for the squad that boasts 24 freshmen along with some rookies on the roster.

“It’s a very young team. More than half of our team is freshmen and we are still trying to find our rhythm,” sophomore and team president Malcolm McCurdy said.

Although the team may not be the most experienced, having a young squad creates a good dynamic between the senior leaders and young players.

“It’s fun to have that seniority and be a leader,” senior captain Matt Samet said.

The Petaluma, Calif., native said that many of the freshmen come up to him not just to ask lacrosse questions but seek advice about classes and tackling college life.

Another adjustment for the team has been the hiring of new coach Justin Eckenroad — known as “Eck.” Eckenroad graduated in 2011 and is a team alum.

“We wanted to get a coach in that was familiar with the program and wanted to keep this program successful,” senior captain Benton Souers said. “We brought him in knowing that he was familiar with expectations for the team and is a player’s coach. He is socialable and easy to talk to on top of being just a really smart lacrosse guy.”

The team is now halfway through its season and has a rivalry game against Oregon State on April 26 before heading to the conference tournament in May and potentially nationals.

The team’s record now stands at 5-4 overall and 3-1 in its division. The men’s sole conference loss was to the dominant Simon Fraser University out of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

Oregon is looking to finish its season strong while focusing on playing two solid halves every match.

“Once we start putting whole games together we can hang with anyone,” Samet said.

Souers added that when it comes to success during the team’s games, the squad needs to focus on execution.

“We need to execute the game plan. When we do what we are supposed to do, we are really good,” Souers said. ”But since we are really young, we sometimes get flustered, so if we can handle pressure and execute we can be a really good team.”

Being part of the team is a major time commitment. It also puts a strain on finances. It costs $2,800 a year for each player to participate and buy new gear. They practice every day and often travel on weekends to play.

Although it can be hectic, McCurdy said it doesn’t take away from his enjoyment.

“It’s really not that bad to take three hours of your day to run around,” McCurdy said.

The team has high expectations to finish the year and work hard to compete. But the men pride themselves on being a united team.

“We are defaintly about business. Business is first,” Samet said. “But at the end of the day, we do it for ourselves and to have fun. We are a good group of guys who mesh well.”

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the Alamo Bowl, redshirt junior and offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone is already looking to next season as spring football practice is underway. After the Ducks’ second spring practice Tuesday morning, the Emerald caught up with Johnstone as he spoke about his road to recovery and his spring break back home in Arizona.

Offensive coordinator Scott Frost said after the Alamo Bowl that you told him you would be back for the first game. Did you ever have any doubt? 

“No, not at all. The only time I really doubted was when it happened and after halftime (in San Antonio). I talked to coach and I have been on track ever since, so I was never worried about coming back for this season.”

What was going on in your head when it first happened? 

“The only thing I really thought about was now I can’t be doing as many squats in the offseason as I wanted to and that was the only thing I was really worried about. As soon as I got over the initial shock of it I started to look to things I could improve and make my knee better.”

How is spring practice going?

“It’s fun. I get to kind of take a step back and stand behind the coaches… I get to watch and see what’s going on and get a bunch of mental reps. I get to coach up the younger guys a little bit and that helps me learn my game and I realize watching other guys when the coaches mean when they are telling me to do something because I am the same ideas for these guys. I think it’s going to transfer over and I kinda understand the game a lot more. I think it’s going to be pretty good for me.”

Do you see yourself taking a bigger leadership role? 

“Definitely. We graduated some pretty pertinent leaders on both sides of the ball. I am going to be an upperclassman this year, this is my fourth year in the program, so I am going to have some guys looking up to me to make some decisions and give them a voice towards the coaches or some direction on where they want to go or how they want to play.”

Is it weird not seeing some familiar faces at practice?  

“Every year you kind of go through it. You lose your friends and you get guys going onto do bigger and better things. You respect it. When you watch those guys go they gave us such a good base to go off of how to lead and how to lead by example. We take what they have done and put it into our own leadership style. That’s what happens every spring, someone has to step up after these guys leave.”

Did you enjoy your spring break? Did you get to go home to Arizona? 

“I went home. It’s Arizona. So that was my Cabo I guess. It was fun. I hung out with old high school friends and caught up with a lot of people and high school coaches. Worked out a couple of times. It was relaxing.”

Did you get your tan on?

“Oh yeah! I got a tan, got a couple of massages. Went to the chiropractor a few times. It was nice. It was really relaxing.”

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

Although Oregon lacrosse came out strong in the first half, the Ducks could not come up with a win in their home opener, as they fell to the Connecticut Huskies 10-8 today at Papé Field.

Oregon came out with the energy and extra step in the first half. The Ducks were aggressive in the midfield and goalie Caroline Federighi made major saves for Oregon.

“Caroline played phenomenal throughout the whole game and (I) really give her props for the belief we had in that game,” head coach Jen Beck said.

Federighi had eight saves in the first half and 12 for the game.

Oregon was the first to score with a goal from Casey Brogan. Sophomore Carly O’Connell tallied the assist.

O’Connell continued to contribute in the first half, scoring Oregon’s second goal just under the 18-minute mark in the half and picking up another assist.

Seniors Nikki Puszcz and Sami Kiser also scored for the Ducks as Oregon headed into the locker room at halftime with a 5-2 lead.

Beck added that keeping possession in the first half was key for the Ducks.

In the second half the Ducks failed to keep the momentum and struggled on the draw.

The Huskies took advantage of gaining possession to catch up and bring the score closer.

Connecticut lead in draw controls 13-3.

Along with possession, the Ducks had many shot opportunities that just didn’t go their way.

Beck mentioned that the Huskies’ zone defense pressured the team on offense and she hopes to replicate pressure situations more in practice to execute better.

Connecticut’s Katherine Finkelston lead the Huskies comeback in the second half, scoring two back-to-back goals to inch her team closer at 7-6.

Finkleston led all scorers with six goals.

After a goal from Jacqueline Jordan with just under 12 minutes left, the Huskies took a one-goal lead, their first lead of the whole game.

Just a minute later, Oregon’s Shannon Propst found Casey Brogan to tie up the match.

The Ducks just couldn’t finish at the circle, as Connecticut was able to maintain possession, giving Oregon no time to try to catch up.

“I think UConn did a really good job of grabbing the momentum,” Beck said. “Having those four goals go in one right after the other and we can’t get the draw. It’s tough to stop that.”

Oregon will face Fresno State tomorrow in its first MPSF conference matchup. The first draw is set for 2 p.m. at Papé Field.

“We have to dig in our heels tomorrow and make a difference,” Beck said.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

Emerald sports reporters Ryan Kostecka, Madison Guernsey and Hayden Kim discuss the 2013-14 Oregon men’s basketball season and the Ducks’ upcoming games against Arizona and in the Pac-12 Tournament.

1) Was this season a success, a disappointment or somewhere in between? Why?

Kostecka — Disappointment mixed with success. Coming into this season, Damyean Dotson was a possible candidate to contend for Pac-12 player of the year and the Ducks had potential to be a No. 10-20 nationally ranked team while giving Arizona and UCLA a run for their money. Those things didn’t happen. The Ducks’ turnaround is a successful aspect of Oregon’s season.

Guernsey — At this point, the season has been a disappointment. Depending on the outcome of the Arizona game and beyond, it could be a success. The Ducks have the talent to finish atop the Pac-12 but instead will be lucky to finish in the top four. Even though the Ducks lost five straight games and eight of 10 in the middle of the season, they still have a shot at getting into the NCAA tournament. That is a success. At the beginning of the season anything less than one March Madness win would have been a disappointment, but given the circumstances, just getting in will be a success.

Kim — For a team that began the season 13-0 and was ranked a top 10 team in the AP Poll, this season was a disappointment. There were high expectations for a team that added top quality transfers like Jason Calliste, Mike Moser and Joseph Young and they simply did not satisfy them. The Ducks are still in the mix to receive an NCAA tournament bid and can make up some of that ground late in the season. 

2) Who has been Oregon’s MVP this season?

Kostecka —  Young is the MVP for Oregon. Young’s offensive capabilities keep Oregon in any game, as seen in the ASU game. He’s been the brightest star on a team that has failed to meet expectations.

Guernsey — The MVP for the Ducks has been Mike Moser. Moser is versatile at 6-foot-8, and can shoot from the outside. His length makes him a defensive presence inside and his rebounding efforts have been unmatched. In 21 wins this season, Moser is averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, compared to 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in eight losses. Moser’s been especially valuable during Oregon’s six-game winning streak, averaging 18.3 points and 11.3 boards.

Kim — Young has been the MVP for Oregon. In addition to leading the team in scoring (18.8 points), Young has also been the clear leader at the end of games. And while Young had his fair share of inconsistent play this season, his scoring ability and presence on the floor is something the Ducks could not afford to be without. During the Ducks’ recent five-game winning streak, Young has been averaging 20.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and has shot .857 percent from the line. The bottom line is that the Ducks go as Young goes in regards to winning games and it’s been apparent in this final stretch of the season.

3) What moment or storyline will you remember most from this season?

Kostecka — Young’s second half against Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. was one of the greatest halves of basketball I’ve ever seen by an individual player. His 29 points in the second half were just two shy of ASU’s second half total. The way he scored his points was impressive, pulling up for three-pointers, getting into the lane for pull-up jumpers, driving hard for layups and hitting free throws.

Guernsey — The most prominent storyline is the inconsistency of Oregon. After 13 consecutive wins they looked poised to repeat their success from 2013. The Ducks struggled early on in conference play, diminishing Oregon’s chances of playing deep into March. Now, with one game left, the Ducks have played themselves back into the picture in an epic late-season run. If they’re successful, that will be the most memorable storyline.

Kim — The rapidity of Oregon’s fall from the national scene is the most memorable storyline from this season. From beginning the season with so much hype and a top 10 ranking, to then go and lose five straight games following their Pac-12 opener against Utah, the Ducks couldn’t have taken a more drastic turn. It may have been a pleasant surprise to see this year’s team have the potential to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament, but now it is merely a game of getting in.

4) How will the Ducks perform against Arizona and in the Pac-12 tournament?

Kostecka — Arizona is looking like a team on a mission. They’ve finally found their groove after the loss of Brandon Ashley and I think they will be the final team cutting down the nets in April. Oregon somehow finds a way to grind out a win to end the regular season against Arizona but the Wildcats get their revenge over the Ducks in the Pac-12 tournament, whether it be the semifinals or finals.

Guernsey — Every player on Oregon understands the importance of the game against Arizona, and they’ll play their hearts out. However, the Wildcats are simply too good and won’t falter in the regular season finale. I like Oregon’s chances in the Pac-12 tournament depending on the match-ups, helping the Ducks lock themselves into the NCAA tournament.

Kim — In their biggest regular-season game of the year, the Ducks will have the luxury of playing No. 3 ranked Arizona at home. Oregon will have another chance to pick up a marquee win and will at least keep the game close. Heading into the game, the Ducks will be right in the mix in regards to the NCAA tournament, so they will presumably bring all they have in a vital season ending game. In regards to the Pac-12 tournament, the Ducks are capable of beating any team. The Ducks have shown they can compete with the best teams in a loaded Pac-12 conference. I would not be surprised if the Ducks won the tournament based on the outcome of their last game against Arizona.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim
Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

– After men’s basketball head coach Dana Altman requested that students attend last night’s game against Arizona State, the Ducks managed to beat the Sun Devils 85-78 to pick up their sixth-straight win. With last night’s win, Oregon is now one game behind California, Colorado and Stanford for the fourth spot in the Pac-12 and have secured a .500 record in conference play. Mike Moser recorded his third double-double, with a team-high 22 points and 17 rebounds. Center Waverly Austin also provided Oregon with a much-needed spark, finishing with 10 rebounds, five points and five blocks.

– Women’s head basketball coach Paul Westhead announced yesterday that his contract will not be renewed following the conclusion of this season.  Westhead compiled an overall record of 65-90 since joining the Ducks in 2009. This season, Oregon finished 15-14 overall, but struggled in the conference with a 6-12 record. Oregon is set to play Washington State in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament Thursday.

– After Cal State Fullerton swept the Ducks in Eugene this past weekend, Oregon baseball picked up two wins against a double header versus Seattle University last night at PK Park. Due to the efforts of Tyler Baumgartner, who had six hits and the game-winning RBI, the Ducks won 4-3 in their second game against Seattle. Earlier that day, Oregon beat the Redhawks 10-2.

– Emerald digital sports editor Victor Flores appeared on KWVA’s Quack Smack Tuesday night. Flores, who currently covers Oregon’s baseball team for the Emerald, talked about Oregon’s doubleheader versus Seattle and the future of Jeff Gold. You can listen to the complete audio session here. KWVA, the campus radio station, will feature an Emerald sports reporter every Tuesday for it’s Quack Smack show. Tune into 88.1 FM to listen to Quack Smack from 6-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and “Friday Night Spotlight” from 7-9 p.m.

– Oregon tennis player Kevin Farin was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. The Belgium native received the honor after helping the Ducks beat rival Washington for the first time in 10 years. Farin defeated Gal Hakak 6-2, 7-5. On Sunday, Farin notched another win beating Nathan Sereke of No.15 Boise State 6-3, 7-5, marking a win against the highest ranked team that oregon has ever beat.

After starting out the season with two wins on a road trip Florida, the Oregon women’s lacrosse team (2-1) picked up their first loss of the season, as the Temple Owls (2-2) defeated the Ducks 10-8.

Oregon was first to get on the board, with a goal from Shannon Propst just 49 seconds into the game.

Temple was able to strike back with Jaymie Tablor scoring three straight goals for the Owls.

The Ducks eventually found the back of the net again due to a goal by Courtney Valdez, assisted by Carly O’Connell, her second of the game.

Valdez would go on to score four goals total in the game, a team-high so far for Oregon this season.

A goal with one second left in the first half by Kathryn Skahan gave Temple a 5-4 edge at halftime.

Valdez scored for the Ducks at the start of the second half, tying the game up at 5-5.

Once again, the Owls were able to take control and tallied four straight goals to bring the score to 9-5 with just over six minutes left in the game.

The Ducks showed some fight as they picked up three goal in the final three minutes, but it wasn’t enough as Kristie Conner of Temple tacked on one more goal with 24 seconds left to bring the score to 10-8.

Goalie Caroline Federighi had nine saves for the match.

The Ducks had a total of 33 fouls for the game compared to Temple’s 15.

The Owls also controlled the draw control 12-7.

Oregon will conclude their road trip on the east coast on Monday when they face Robert Morris in Moon Township, Pa. The opening draw is set for 9 a.m.

The Oregon women’s tennis team struggled over the weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., falling to both Minnesota and Oklahoma State.

On Saturday, the Ducks lost their third-straight match while getting swept by the Cowgirls 7-0.

The No. 29 Oklahoma State team earned the doubles point, with Oregon’s Jasmine Minor and Nicole Long falling to Viktoriya Lushkova and Kanyapat Narattana of Oklahoma State 8-2.

Marlou Kluiving and Lina Akesson also dropped their doubles match 8-2.

Oregon got swept in doubles play, as well.

“We did not play poorly, Oklahoma State is just a good team,” head coach Paul Reber told GoDucks.com. “In my opinion, they will be a top 20 team this year. They came out firing and seemed to have caught us with that in the start of both doubles and singles.”

Saturday’s competition marked the first time Oregon has been swept since facing Stanford last April.

On Sunday, Oregon’s sole point in their 6-1 loss to Minnesota was due to the effort of senior Long.

Long defeated Tereza Brichacova in a tiebreaker match, 6-7, 7-5, 1-0.

In doubles play, Lana Buttner and Sofia Hager defeated Paula Rincon Otero and Aria Lambert in the No. 3 match, but that wasn’t enough to secure the doubles point as both Minor and Long, as well as Kluiving and Akesson lost their matches.

Up next for Oregon is Akron on Sunday, Feb. 22. Matches begin at 4 p.m. at the Student Tennis Center on campus.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

The Oregon women’s lacrosse team beat Coastal Carolina yesterday, scoring over 20 goals for the second game in a row.

On Monday, the Ducks beat Stetson 20-3 in their season opener.

Today marked only the third time in Oregon history that the Ducks had scored 20-plus goals in back-to-back games.

Shannon Propst, Nikki Puszcz and Courtney Valdez each contributed four goals for Oregon.

Casey Brogan, Devon Frazer and Carly O’Connell added three goals each.

“It was another fantastic team effort with a very smart, balanced and efficient level of play on both ends of the field,” head coach Jen Beck told GoDucks.com. “I am proud of how consistent we played in both games, especially in such a short time frame.”

The weather and restrictions on travel forced the Ducks to play back-to-back games.

Oregon excelled in free position shots, scoring eight times off of their nine attempts.

The Ducks worked steadily throughout the game, taking a 6-0 lead within the first nine minutes and holding the Chants to only two goals at halftime.

O’Connell was successful for Oregon on the draw and was one draw shy of tying UO’s single-game record for draw controls in a game. She set the record last year against St. Mary’s. Oregon won 22 draw controls compared to Coastal Carolina’s five.

The Ducks outshot their opponent 40-10.

Up next for the team will be another road trip at the beginning of March. Oregon will face Temple in Philadelphia, Pa. on March 1.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman