Event: University of Oregon Nike Invitational
Teams: UC Davis at University of Oregon; UC Davis vs. Oregon State
Where: Pape Field – Eugene, Ore.
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 11 a.m.
Who to watch: It’s early in the season, but already Allison Kelly has shown that she is a presence on the soccer pitch.
In their exhibition game against Saint Mary’s, the women’s soccer team posted seven shots-three of which came from Allison Kelly. The Sacramento, Calif. native did one better in the Aggies’ opener against Sac State, scoring her first collegiate goal.
“She’s a tricky kid,” said women’s soccer coach Maryclaire Robinson. “She has excellent movement off the ball-and that makes her hard to defend. She has become an impact player. It’s been very good to watch her develop.”
Did you know? Oregon and Oregon State are the only Pac-10 teams that the Aggies will play during the season. After the tournament, the Aggies will come back to Davis after their road trip for their home opener.
Preview: Sometimes success comes easy. Most of the time, however, you have to work for it.
The Aggies certainly worked for it in their 1-0 against Sac State. They set the pace early and kept the Hornets on their heels.
“We had a great run of play, a lot of pressure, and a lot of shots on goal,” said Robinson. “We did a great job of stealing momentum.”
The Aggies went on to record six shots in the first period and would weather a barrage of 10 shots from Sac State in the second period. UC Davis will need to continue to push the tempo and remain aggressive as they take on the Pac-10.
The Oregon Ducks look to get back on track after a crushing 1-0 loss to No. 21 Oklahoma State in overtime. And, while the Ducks came up on the short end of the stick, their rival Oregon St. handed the University of Seattle a trouncing. In addition, while the Ducks seemed sluggish, the Beavers gained momentum by taking nine shots in the first period.
“Whenever you play a Pac-10 team, you know they come with experience,” said Robinson. “[Both teams] are athletic, have good size and attacking players who score.”
Still, she remains optimistic.
“I think we play an exciting style of soccer. If we can score and work on team play, we can sneak a couple of wins.”
– Matt Wang
