After finding Courtney Valedez to make her ninth assist of the game, senior Shannon Propst become Oregon’s all-time assist leader, as the Ducks went on to win their season opener against Stetson 20-3.

Propst’s assist to Valedez marked the 79th of her career, surpassing Kristina Barrett who played from 2009-12. In addition, Propst’s nine assists  tied her for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s single-game assists record set by Jill Remenapp of Denver last year.

“I have to give my teammates all the credit because they were the ones getting open and finishing the shots,” Propst told GoDucks.com.

Propst’s performance today solidified that she has the ability to lead Oregon this year on offense. Propst is one of seven seniors on the team that Oregon will look to for a spark this upcoming season. 

Oregon was originally set to play their game on Sunday, but were forced to reschedule to Monday due to travel plans being effected by the snow.

“After a challenging travel schedule with the weather we had in Eugene, I was just super proud of how the team executed from the start,” head coach Jen Beck told GoDucks.com.

Oregon was dominant on both sides of the field, outshooting the Hattters 39-6 and forcing Stetson to commit 24 turnovers.

Due to midfielder Carly O’Connell at the circle for Oregon, the Ducks were able to control draws 14-11.

O’Connell also got the Ducks off to a quick start, scoring Oregon’s first goal within the first 32 seconds of the game off a free position shot.

“She just loves to play lacrosse,” Beck told GoDucks.com. “She just dominates the draws and makes play on both ends of the field for us.”

Oregon scored 12 straight goals before Stetson knocked in two before the half.

The Ducks were able to keep up the pace in the second half, earning the win in their first game of the season.

Also contributing to the offense was senior Nikki Puszcz who scored four goals, while Valdez tallied three. Hayley Minor and Holly Johnson each had two goals.

The Ducks will face Coastal Carolina in Jacksonville, Fla. today at 8:30 a.m.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

After finishing with a 3-5 conference record and falling short of making the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament last year, Oregon women’s lacrosse is looking to make a statement as a new season begins.

Led by a strong senior class, including Shannon Propst, who set the record for most points in a single season last year, and goalie Caroline Federighi, Oregon has hopes high for a successful season and earning a spot in the conference tournament.

“We had  a really good fall and I was really pleased to see how people are stepping up,” head coach Jen Beck said.

Federighi said she thinks her fellow seniors’ experience and leadership can help the team excel this season.

“We all have different roles on the team and I feel like we handle ourselves well,” Federighi said.

Federighi, along with senior defender Erika McCool, should lead the Ducks on defense this season.

“I think we have a lot more leadership in our young girls…this year as they have advanced in their play, the defense as a unit will be a lot stronger and trustworthy when we need to send slides early—people are going to have our backs.”

Beck also mentioned that sophomores Alison Sharkey and Jacqueline Moccia are younger players who have the ability to step up for the Ducks on defense this year.

“I think there are going to be new names people are excited about and a different level each of them will be competing at, that’s what we’re excited about,” Beck said.

On the offensive side, there is no denying that Propst has the ability to set the pace for Oregon.

Beck complimented her ability to dish the ball to her teammates but also be a goal scorer.

“She is selfless and wants the whole unit to connect,” said Beck.

As only a sophomore, midfielder Carly O’Connell could also provide a spark for Oregon on offense after a strong freshman season. The Massachusetts native tallied 16 goals and 17 assists for the Ducks last season, while being successful on draw control. 

“Carly is hungry for the ball,” Beck said.

The nine-year head coach also added that O’Connell has benefitted from the upperclassman to help improve her play.

“The seniors this year are all awesome leaders … their impact is huge,” O’Connell said. ”We have a lot of returners and the connections are what is going to be key.”

Although the team often travels east for games, Beck said it is never really hard to adjust because the women are used to it with 6 a.m. practices and because many of the team members hail from the other side of the country.

“A lot of adrenaline is kicking because they (some team members) get to play in front of family,” Beck said. “They get excited about that and are really proud to put on the uniform and play.”

The Ducks were suppose to face Stetson in DeLand, Fla. on Sunday morning, but due to the weather affecting their travel plans, the game is set for Monday afternoon.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

After winning four straight dual matches, the Oregon women’s tennis team picked up two losses this weekend in the Midwest.

On Friday, the Ducks fell to Iowa 5-2.

In doubles play, Oregon lost two out of its three matches.

Sofia Hager and Lana Buttner were able to win 6-4 in doubles, but the team of Jasmine Minor and Nicole Long, as well as Marlou Kluving and Lina Akesson, both lost 6-4.

In singles play, Nicole Long won her  No. 1 singles match, defeating Ruth Seaborne in a tiebreaker, 6-1, 2-6, 1-0 (11-9).

“It was a tough match today, I played well and it still could’ve gone either way,” Long told GoDucks.com. “Even though I lost the second set, I knew I was still in it. It was a matter of a few really close breaks. I went up 4-1 in the breaker then got down 7-5 and came back to 9-7. I lost the two match points I had, but after switching sides,  I said to myself, ‘I’m winning this.’”

Hager was the only other Duck to pick up a win against Iowa in her 7-6, 2-6, 1-0 (10-4) victory over Caitlin Hindmarsh.

“It was hard fought win and I’m glad that I was able to keep playing aggressive even though the match got close,” Hager told GoDucks.com.

Minor lost in a tiebreaker in the No. 2 singles match, falling to Morven McCulloch 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6).

Kluiving, Buttner and Akesson also weren’t able to pick up wins and the Hawkeyes handed Oregon its first loss of the season.

2014 National Signing Day is in full swing, and the Ducks have picked up 20 recruits so far, with 16 signing  today.   

John ‘Juju’ Smith was considering Oregon but decided to attend USC this afternoon.

Juju Smith, five-star recruit from Long Beach, Calif., announces his decision to play football at USC. Smith was considering Oregon.

— Emerald Sports (@ODEsports) February 5, 2014

KEZI sports reporter Erik Elken:

On missing out on Juju Smith, Mark Helfrich said, "I'm sure my wife wishes she married George Clooney, but she moved on."

— Erik Elken (@Erik_Elken) February 5, 2014

Here is a social media reaction to today’s activities:

Emerald sports reporter Madison Guernsey:

Helfrich said there's an eight step process he and coaches look for regarding things outside of football during recruiting. The "knowns."

— Madison Guernsey (@guernseymd) February 5, 2014

Register-Guard Ducks beat writer Ryan Thorburn:

The Oregon staff visited over 1,000 high schools in 31 states during 2014 recruiting process according to Mark Helfrich.

— Ryan Thorburn (@rgduckfootball) February 5, 2014

Sports Illustrasted’s Stewart Mandel

USC, LSU had the biggest closes today. Sark especially impressive pulling off the class he has coming off several months of limbo at USC.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 5, 2014

KEZI sports director Jake Zivin:

The reaction in Oregon's Hatfield-Dowlin Complex when Juju Smith picked USC over Oregon. @… http://t.co/Gj6s4XpvMq

— Jake Zivin (@JakeZivin) February 5, 2014

Defensive back Arrion Springs:

Me and mom getting it done #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/q90FFErdCv

— Arrion Springs (@A_Springs4) February 5, 2014

Now we wait for Juju #GoDucka

— Arrion Springs (@A_Springs4) February 5, 2014

Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby:

6-5, 290-pound OL RT @OregonGridiron: Congratulations @TyrellCrosby! Welcome to the Oregon family. #YVY #NSD #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/sRkrhLXwr6

— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) February 5, 2014

Oregon wide receiver Bralon Addison:

In honor of today national signing day , make the best decision for you and nobody else fellas because… http://t.co/b5cXLOIQRe

— Bralon Addison (@BralonAddison11) February 5, 2014

Defensive back Khalil Oliver:

Wanna thank God for this opportunity and It's official I'm an Oregon duck! #WTD #NoFlyZone pic.twitter.com/goKqUPrDjg

— Khalil Oliver (@Deramus20) February 5, 2014

Defensive tackle Austin Maloata:

Congratulations Austin Maloata! Welcome to the Oregon family. @AMaloata #YVY #NSD #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/t5NuuDpaHY

— OregonGridiron (@OregonGridiron) February 5, 2014

Defensive back Glen Ihenacho:

I had gotten bored in the snow yesterday morning.. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/A7uP9FEg5w

— GLEN IHENACHO (@GItheDUECE_) February 5, 2014

Former Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY TOMORROW – DONT COMMIT TO A TEAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE SWEET JERSEYS.. GO BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE GREAT #LETSGODUX

— Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) February 5, 2014

Oregonian Ducks beat writer Andrew Greif:

Nice get for @Run4Ducks, too. MT @IDS_VarsityX: Khalil Oliver is also going to run track for Ducks. Reigning state champ in the 110 hurdles.

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) February 5, 2014

Could play O or D, Helf said RT@JenBeyrle: Henry Mondeaux officially signing with Oregon #GoDucks @HMondeaux81 pic.twitter.com/43N6EgOzCe

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) February 5, 2014

Tight end Henry Mondeaux:

Congratulations Henry Mondeaux! Welcome to the Oregon family. @HMondeaux81 #YVY #NSD #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/RR98gDK4Xd

— OregonGridiron (@OregonGridiron) February 5, 2014

Quarterback Morgan Mahalak:

Officially a Duck! pic.twitter.com/0xU7srrtFU

— Morgan Mahalak (@MorganMahalak) February 5, 2014

Comcast SportsNet Northwest sportswriter Aaron Fentress:

Oregon's 2010 recruiting class ranked 13th. This year's class is 30th. And this after opening the gem of all gems. Not a concern?

— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) February 5, 2014

Linebacker Jimmie Swain with fellow future Ducks Tony James and Mattrell McGraw:

TOLD YOU HE WAS TRYINg TO WIN THE DAY! CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS SEASON! @TonyJames_21 @MattrellMcGraw #menoforegon pic.twitter.com/L8D8sNDjbs

— Jimmie Swain IV (@jimmieswain) February 5, 2014

GoDucks.com Editor in Chief Rob Moseley:

Helf did mention the Ducks may not be done with this class. "There's a couple things on the horizon that may or may not happen." #GoDucks

— Rob Moseley (@DuckFootball) February 5, 2014

Emerald digital sports editor Victor Flores:

Helfrich mentioned Kenjon Barner, Michael Clay and Hroniss Grasu as successfull Ducks who weren't highly recruited.

— Victor Flores (@vflores415) February 5, 2014

"Royce Freeman… Unbelievable. Just love everything about this guy." – Mark Helfrich.

— Emerald Sports (@ODEsports) February 5, 2014

Check back here for updates throughout the day.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

Oregon women’s tennis added its fourth win of the season yesterday beating Portland State 6-1.

The Ducks are now 4-0 in dual season play for the second straight year.

On Saturday, the team beat the University of Portland 6-1, dropping its first point of the season when senior Nicole Long lost her No. 1 dual singles match by the score of 6-3, 6-5.

Long was able to secure a win against the Vikings beating Dane Vorster in a 10-8 tiebreaker after dropping the first set.

“After losing my match yesterday, I said to myself this isn’t happening again,” Long told GoDucks.com. “I wasn’t going to let someone come out firing and beat me. I just had to ride the waves until she started missing and regain my rhythm.”

In doubles play, the Ducks were successful with the help of Long and Jasmine Minor winning their match 6-1.

Minor also won in singles, defeating Sabina-Elena Preda 6-2, 6-3.

Twins, Allie and Kadie Hueffner secured Oregon the point in doubles, winning 6-3.

Kadie saw her first action in singles play, but lost in a tiebreaker to Alexa McDonald 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-4).

Also picking up wins for the Ducks were Sofia Hager, Lana Buttner and freshman Maja Salibasic.

Buttner was dominant in her match winning 6-1, 6-0.

Hager won 6-4, 6-1, while Salibasic earned her first dual match win of her career winning 6-1, 6-4.

“It was a good match for us to test out the depth of our line up,” head coach Paul Reber told GoDucks.com. “For Kadie and Maja both to play in their first dual match of their career is a great experience. We’re hoping they learn and grow from this experience.”

The No. 72 Ducks will travel to Iowa this weekend to face Iowa and DePaul. Oregon will face the Hawkeyes on Friday, Feb. 7 and DePaul on Saturday.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

The Oregon women’s tennis team swept South Carolina Upstate yesterday 7-0 in its home opener.

Friday’s matches also marked the start of dual play.

Last weekend, the team traveled to Indiana for the Indiana Invitational, before heading back to Eugene to face the Bears.

Junior Nicole Long believed that tournament helped the Ducks prepare for today.

“I think Indiana was good to get the jitters out,” Long said. “Everyone is going to be a little nervous and they don’t know what to expect with it being the first dual match, but I think it went very well.”

Oregon was successful in the doubles round, winning two out of the three matches.

Their third match ended early as the Ducks earned the doubles point fore the day.

Lana Buttner and Sofia Hager defeated Anna Zoske and Sara Vande Berg 6-0, while Marlou Kluving and Lina Akkesson beat Isabel von Stryk and Anna Baran 6-2.

Oregon swept in the singles competition, winning all seven matches.

Junior Nicole long defeated Taylor Cohen in the No. 1 singles match 6-1, 6-1.

Although Cohen had a powerful serve, Long said she used her speed to her advantage and felt confident with the returns.

Long won 22 matches in singles last season and looks to have another strong season for the Ducks at the No. 1 spot.

Also picking up victories for Oregon were Jasmine Minor, Sofia Hager, Lana Buttner, Lina Akesson and Rabea Stueckemann.

Hager, who is in her third year at Oregon said that she felt a little bit of nerves because it was the first match of the season, but was content with her win today.

“I was happy I could win the match playing through my nerves a little,” Hager said.

Minor beat von Stryk in a tie breaker to secure the sweep for the Ducks. The junior transfer won 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

Buttner took home a win on her birthday after defeating Baran 6-2, 6-2.

Akesson won 6-1, 6-4, while senior Stueckemann also earned Oregon a point, beating Vande Berg 6-2, 6-0.

Long said the key to Oregon’s success in future matches is staying tough.

“I just want to see high energy from everyone, especially from myself,” Long said. “I want to keep that up. Have us all play well and hopefully have to jitters.”

Oregon will take on Eastern Washington this Sunday at 11 a.m.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

Women’s tennis opened the spring season this past weekend at the Indiana Winter Invitational in Bloomington, Ind.

The tournament began on Saturday and the Ducks finished their final matches this morning.

On day one Oregon grabbed six victories, with Lana Buttner and Nicole Long each winning in both singles and doubles play.

Long defeated Monica Lin of Harvard in straight-sets, 6-1, 6-1. Buttner beat Amanda Lin of Harvard, 6-4, 6-4.

Tennis twins Allie and Kadie Hueffner both picked up wins in singles.

“Doubles was good for us today going 3-1 and having two teams advance to the quarterfinals,” head coach Paul Reber told GoDucks.com. “We are still working out the combinations we want so to have a couple teams play well is certainly moving in the right direction.”

The Ducks weren’t as successful on day two of the tournament and won only six of 16 matches on Sunday.

The Hueffner sisters, along with Sofia Hager, were the only Ducks to grab wins in the singles play on day two.

A. Hueffner beat Danielle Mirda of Harvard 6-0, 6-4 and K. Hueffner was successful against Mary Beth King of Indiana 6-2, 6-2.

Hager beat Amy He of Harvard in a tiebreaker 2-6, 6-2 (10-5).

Oregon struggled in doubles, losing both their matches in the winners’ bracket.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, this morning’s matches did not go in Oregon’s favor.

The team lost all three of their matches on the tournament’s last day.

Nicole Long and Jasmine Minor lost to Amanda Lin and Spencer Liang of Harvard 6-2. The Hueffner’s dropped their final match to Marquette’s Erin Gebes and Rocio Diaz 6-4. Hager and Marlou Kluiving suffered a tough loss to Hannah Morill and June Lee of Harvard in a tiebreak 7-6.

Oregon’s home-opener against South Carolina Upstate is this Friday at 4 p.m. The Ducks will face Eastern Washington on Sunday at 11 a.m. Both matches will take place at the Student Tennis Center on campus.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

Erik Chinander has officially been named Oregon’s new outside linebackers coach today.

Previous Oregon linebacker coach was Don Pellum, who was named the Ducks’ new defensive coordinator after Nick Aliotti’s retirement. Pellum will still coach inside linebackers.

Chinander, an Iowa native, was as assistant defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2013 season and was an intern and graduate assistant for Oregon under former head coach Chip Kelly. While with Oregon, Chinander helped with the Ducks’ defensive line, concentrating on the “drop-end” position.

“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and am excited to return to a program with a history and potential for further greatness as the University of Oregon,” Chinander stated in the press release for the University of Oregon. “I’m anxious to contribute to the momentum that Coach Helfrich has provided in his short time as head coach and am looking forward to working with a defensive staff that is among the best in the country.”

Prior to his time at Oregon, the 34-year-old coach worked at Northern Iowa coaching fullbacks and tight ends from 2004-09. He also assisted the offensive line.

Chinander coached some standout Oregon players like Kenny Rowe, Brandon Bair and Dion Jordan, who all three are now on current NFL rosters.

“Erik is a proven coach and recruiter who also offers an injection of youth and enthusiasm into our defense,” Helfrich said in the press release. “He brings with him a familiarity of what we want to do, yet his experience at a number of different levels will provide us with a fresh perspective.”

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

– After a stellar performance in last weekend’s NFL playoff, former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount is now on the cover of the latest version of Sports Illustrated. The New England Patriot running back ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, marking perhaps his best game as a pro. The Patriots beat the Colts 43-22. Blount, who was suspended by Chip Kelly for eight games after throwing punches following Oregon’s 19-8 loss in 2009, finished with over 1,000 rushing yards and set an Oregon record with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2008. This is Blount’s fourth year in the NFL.

Check out @LG_Blount on the cover of Sports Illustrated! pic.twitter.com/rprmm8YSSc

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 15, 2014

– Emerald senior sports reporter Hayden Kim appeared on “Quack Smack,” hosted by Travis Teich on KWVA 88.1 FM on Tuesday night. Kim and Teich, along with panelists Chris Clayton and Andrew Murray, discussed the struggles of the Oregon men’s basketball team and the Ducks lack of rebounding among other things. A member of the Emerald staff will be on Quack Smack every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. Quack Smack is broadcast Monday-Thursday from 6-7 p.m. and “Friday Night Spotlight” is broadcast from 7-9 p.m. on Fridays. You can check out last night’s show here.  

– Andrew Greif of The Oregonian reported in an interview with John Neal that the Oregon secondary coach plans to stay after turning down head coaching interview with UAB. In the interview, Neil said he wants to retire at Oregon. In addition, cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said that coach Neal was a major reason for him staying next year and forgoing the NFL draft. Neal, who has been in the business for 30 years, is now in his 10th season with the Ducks.

– Oregon men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams once again had high preseason rankings to start of the season. The men’s team came in at No. 3 while the women were ranked fourth in the USTFCCCA Division I National Team Indoor Computer Rankings. The men’s team is just behind Florida and Arkansas, while the women trail Texas, Texas A&M and Florida.

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman

In the game of tennis, a connection with your doubles partner is key.

For Oregon women’s tennis players Allie and Kadie Hueffner, they’ve had a connection since birth.

The Hueffner twins, who graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland, have been playing tennis together since they were 7. The pair picked up the sport after watching their older sister Tasha, who is currently the captain of the women’s tennis team at the Air Force Academy.

“It was really cool seeing our family grow up around it,” Tasha said.

The duo won back-to-back state championships in doubles their junior and senior years of high school. When it came time to decide where to attend college, the twins said love for the Ducks brought them to Oregon.

The sisters shared that they have always been close, but became even tighter when Allie underwent back surgery in August 2010.

Both were diagnosed with scoliosis, but by the time Allie was 15, the curvature in her spine got to the point where she would be hunched over if it was never corrected. Two rods were placed on both sides of her spine to straighten out her curve.

The recovery was supposed to be for six to eight months, but Allie was back on the court within four.

“I just really wanted to get going,” Allie said. “I started walking as soon as I could.”

Watching Allie go through surgery was difficult on Kadie.

“It was pretty traumatic,” Kadie said. “The actual day of the surgery I was freaking out. It is such a dangerous procedure to go through because it’s dealing with your spine so the littlest mistake everything could go wrong. She did a really good job in the recovery process. She was driven to get up on her feet and be more normal self again.”

Now, the twins’ upcoming challenge is to successfully compete at the next level. As freshmen playing in the talented Pac-12 conference, the sisters will face a tougher competition.

Head coach Paul Reber said that the Hueffners have the ability to push the team in doubles and is excited about the possibilities for the pair. Reber also added that he can tell when a doubles team isn’t getting along, especially when it comes to the Hueffner sisters.

“These two don’t have to even say anything, they read each other’s body language so well,” Reber said.

The sisters agreed that their relationship off the court does sometimes make matches easier.

“Since we are sisters we have a little but of wiggle room, where I can tell her to do something or give her stratigic criticism and she won’t take it the wrong way or get mad at me because she knows it is coming from her sister,” Kadie said.

As only freshman, the sisters’ future looks bright at Oregon and their older sister Tasha agrees.

“I think that their talented enough to be in the lineup all four years and improve. I hope they will be the leaders on the team one day,” Tasha said.

Just like the professional players the Bryan Brothers, who the twins have always looked up to and met when they were 10, playing together has always just been a part of their game.

“We know how to have fun and make each other laugh. It’s always been a constant,” Allie said. “Us learning and improving together at the same time.”

Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman