Oregon’s best Big Ten offensive showing still wasn’t enough on Saturday, as the Ducks fell 21-9 to No. 10 Johns Hopkins at Papé Field.
Gabby Santucci led the way with four goals and five points, matching her season high in goals and setting a new conference-play high in points. Lilly Fortin added two goals, and Oregon got scoring help from Lyla Hurley, Avery Young, Anna Simmons and another late push that showed the Ducks still had some fight left despite the final margin.
The loss dropped Oregon to
6-7 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play, while Johns Hopkins improved to 11-3 and 3-2 in conference.
There were at least some signs of progress for the Ducks on the offensive end. Oregon scored nine times on 18 shots, its most productive scoring output of Big Ten play, and looked far more decisive when chances came around.
Johns Hopkins grabbed control early with two quick goals before Fortin got Oregon on the board. Santucci added a first-quarter goal of her own, but the Blue Jays still carried a four-goal lead out of the opening period.
The Ducks were at their best defensively in the second quarter. Francesca Viteritti, back in the starting role in goal, helped keep Oregon within range by turning away seven shots in the first half. She finished with eight saves, matching her season high, as Oregon held Johns Hopkins to just three goals in the period.
Santucci kept pushing in the third quarter, scoring twice more to complete her fourth hat trick of the season. But every time Oregon threatened to string something together, Johns Hopkins had an answer. Fortin and Hurley scored back to back to trim the deficit to 14-6, yet the Blue Jays closed the quarter with two more goals and never let the Ducks seriously climb back in.
Oregon found a little more life in the fourth. Young scored off an assist from Hurley, Santucci added her fourth goal of the day, and Simmons ended things on a bright note by forcing a turnover off the final draw and scoring in the closing seconds.
The Ducks also got strong defensive activity from Simmons, Viteritti and Stone, who each caused two turnovers as part of a seven-turnover effort.
Jess Drummond pointed to the team’s improved attacking mindset afterward, and she is not wrong. Oregon is still losing, but the Ducks at least looked more aggressive and more efficient than they had in earlier conference games. Against a top-10 opponent, that is something. It just is not enough yet.
Up Next
Oregon heads east for its final road trip of the regular season, starting with a Thursday matchup against No. 21 Penn State at 5 p.m. PT on Big Ten Network.
