While conference realignment has generally been mostly about football and television deals, it has had a major impact on other sports sponsored by the affected schools. Not only in terms of travel (much more of it for most of the former Pac-12), but in terms of competitive balance. Oregon baseball and softball has faced a weaker strength of schedule in conference play the past few years. On the other end of the spectrum women’s volleyball has had to undergo a coaching transition while competing in the strongest
conference in the nation.
Lacrosse is in a similar situation to volleyball. In parts of the northeast of the country the game rivals baseball in popularity. Taking a program from the old Pac-12 (a league that included UC-Davis and San Diego State as associate members to make up the numbers) and adding them to a Big Ten based in the northern Midwest and Northeast was always going to be a challenge. The Ducks had been near the bottom of their old conference but were making some positive steps in 2023 and 2024. Moving to the Big Ten essentially scrapped the foundation and set the team back to zero.
Oregon has gone 6-10 overall 0-8 in Big Ten play each of the past two seasons. Most conference games against have been decided by double digits. It will take time for the staff to assemble a roster that is capable of regularly competing against Big Ten teams. To that end head coach Jess Drummond added assistant coach Sophie McLaughlin, who has long experience in the lacrosse hotbed of Vermont. The staff spent much of June travelling to camps throughout the country on scouting and recruiting trips. We’ll have to wait until September and October to see who the team signs as a result of these efforts.
According to the best information I could find there were two transfer portal movements for the team this off season. Defender Hailey Russell left for Towson, but the Ducks picked up attacker Tanner Scarola from Clemson. The squad will also add 7 freshmen who signed this past fall who will enroll this September and be available for the Spring 2027 season. These newcomers will take the place of six departing seniors: Rachel Pallo, Kylee Manser, Jenae Sperling, Jadyn Laing, Shelby Hahn, Emma Ing, and Anna Simmons. Simmons will be a major loss, as she led the team in goals last season with 23 and to date is the only Oregon player to earn all Big Ten honors. Ing’s production will also be difficult to replace with 22 goals of her own.
Besides Simmons and Ing the most productive attackers all return. Gabby Santucci, Lyla Hurley, and Avery Young scored 20, 18, and 16 goals, respectively in 2026 and will be seniors in 2027. Also returning is rising junior Lilly Fortin who led the team with 17 assists and added 13 goals herself. At the midfield and defender spots the only departure was the transfer of Russel. These units are headlined by rising senior midfielder Lexi Jenkins who scored 11 goals in 2026.
At the all important goalie position Oregon returns both primary players with rising senior Francesca Viteritti and rising junior Kate Shields. These two split time in the net fairly evenly with 8 starts each. The third goalie, Kaley Gunning, was a freshman in 2026 and only saw 30 minutes of action the entire season. There is also a true freshman goalie coming in as part of the 2027 class, so the team will will have adequate coverage of the net even after Viteritti’s final season this coming Spring.
Expecting a roster mostly composed of the same players that have yet to win a Big Ten game to make a major jump in the conference standings without their two most productive scorers is simply wishful thinking. What is reasonable is the possibility that that a veteran team can pull off a close win or two and lay a foundation to attract more talent in the future. It takes a lot to even get to .500 in Big Ten women’s lacrosse, but no matter what the season holds Duck fans will continue to support their ladies-of-the-grass.
Go Ducks!!!
