Girls soccer: Oregon keeps up pressure to defeat Dixon

DIXON – Scoring goals in the second half wasn’t even the primary objective for Oregon during its Big Northern Conference game in Dixon on Thursday evening.

Already leading by a goal, the Hawks were just looking to defend and play keep-away when they could against an aggressive Duchesses attack.

But when senior Kenna Wubbena’s crossing pass found its way into the back of the net midway through the second half, it sealed Oregon’s 3-1 victory at A.C. Bowers Field.

“Coach just told us during halftime that we didn’t even need to score another goal, we just needed to play good defense,” Wubbena said. “Fortunately we got one in, but that wasn’t even the goal, wasn’t even the plan. We were just trying to play solid defense and not let them score another goal.

“Everybody definitely stepped up and played well.”

[ Photos from Dixon vs. Oregon girls soccer ]

Oregon (12-1, 6-1 BNC) got a pair of first-half goals from Anna Stender, the second one just two and a half minutes after Dixon (10-7, 5-2) tied the score on a Maggie Van Sickle goal.

With the Duchesses playing with more urgency after the break, the Hawks managed to limit Dixon’s scoring chances, and just tried to counterattack in the middle of the field.

Wubbena found herself with the ball on the right side at the edge of the penalty box and tried to loop a pass across the field to the left post. But the ball landed with a funky bounce and snuck past Dixon goalkeeper Zoey Williams to make it 3-1 with 19:04 left in the game.

“It wasn’t actually a shot; it was supposed to be a pass, and I had been missing them to the right of the goal, so I tried to give my teammate a pass to the left of the goal, and it just happened to go in,” Wubbena said. “I thought it was going to go past the goal. I honestly didn’t think it was going in until I saw it roll over the line.”

It was one of three shots on goal in the second half. Oregon doubled up the Duchesses in total shots (18-9) and shots on frame (10-5) in the game.

Stender benefited from a pair of perfect passes from her teammates in the first half, scoring with 20:19 left in the half when Teagan Champley’s pass went right to Stender’s foot on the left side of the goal; Stender pushed it past a diving Williams.

The second goal was again from the left, as this time it was Deborah Schmid’s pass from the center that Stender tracked down in stride and punched into the net.

The second goal made it 2-1 with 16:10 left in the half, as the Hawks retook the lead just 2:34 after Dixon tied the game.

“It was very key to get that goal back so quick,” Stender said. “Obviously getting the lead is really good, but 1-0 is nothing when it comes to a soccer game. Anybody can score at any time, so getting that second goal really helped give us more confidence and brought our energy up. It really pushed us through the game.”

Van Sickle’s goal was unassisted and came with 18:44 left in the first half. Dribbling upfield from the right side, she tried to pass the ball forward, but it ricocheted off an Oregon defender. Van Sickle won the race to the loose ball against the defender and Hawks keeper Mili Zavala and rolled it in from the left side to tie the game 1-1.

“I had just come in from being subbed out, so I had a feeling I needed to go in there and I needed to score, because we were down one. I saw the goalie come off her line, and I saw a perfect opportunity to put it right in,” Van Sickle said.

That was the best chance Dixon got all game, as Oregon spent the second half making sure it had an extra defender. The backline turned away the Duchesses’ attack, and Zavala finished the game with four saves.

“Their defense was doing pretty good with guarding their goalie, so we couldn’t really get all the way back there [to the goal], but that’s what happens sometimes,” Van Sickle said. “They’re doing really well this year. I’m happy for them, honestly. And we’re going to be all right too.”

Oregon controlled possession in the first half, outshooting Dixon 13-4 (7-3 on frame). Williams and the Duchesses’ backline played well, as the sophomore keeper made five of her seven saves before the break.

But the constant pressure paid off for the Hawks.

“It’s always the goal to keep the pressure on the defense. We just try and keep possession, stop their passes and pass it back through them, just push the ball up the field,” Stender said. “We just want to find a way to keep moving forward.”