Ducks Coming Home to a Place They Remember; Host Washington Schools

EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon Soccer returns to Papé Field Thursday at 4 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) to face the Washington State Cougars in the Pac-12 home opener, followed by a matchup with rival Washington.

The Ducks began conference play on the road with three straight road matches, failing to pick up points against Arizona, UCLA and USC.

But home is where the heart is. Aside from Oregon's season opener against North Carolina State, the Ducks have defended their home turf and have won four straight in Eugene.

Such a momentum ride allowed newcomers like Jazmin Jackmon to settle in. The Pasadena, Calif., native is a junior transfer from Santa Clara University, located in the Bay Area. A true team player at heart, Jackmon thrives in the game off of her teammates' support.

"Being on the road is definitely tough, especially when you don't have the whole team on the sidelines," Jackmon said. "Coming back home this weekend will be nice and will hopefully help us get two results."

Jackmon brings a multitude of defensive talent and attacking spirit going forward which helped the Santa Clara Broncos reach the Elite Eight in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Fortunately, the left back from sunny California decided to transfer and become a Duck, making her debut during Oregon's spring season.

Associate head coach Manny Martins and sophomore center back Alyssa Hinjahosa have known Jazmin Jackmon since her club soccer days at LA Premier FC, smoothing out the transition.

"The transition has been great. Everything is different," Jackmon said. "Knowing Alyssa definitely had an impact on my decision to come here as well as other players from the Olympic Development Program or playing against each other in previous years."

Jackmon later admitted to the close-knit family that Oregon Soccer is, which has been mentioned by many of her teammates. The new culture has helped Jackmon settle in and make an immediate impression.

Jackmon has made an impact with the Ducks but will need to continue to do so in order to help her team reach their season objectives. October has arrived and that means Oregon Soccer enters the homestretch with just eight regular season matches left to play.

The Ducks were unable to earn points last weekend but held their own against a tough UCLA side that currently holds a record of nine wins and one draw, absent of defeat. Leading into Sunday, Oregon pushed forward early which turned into a goal by freshman midfielder Chardonnay Curran, giving the Ducks the lead after the first 45 minutes of play. Yet, a combination of injuries and a threatening USC attack hurt, and Oregon would lose 2-1.

"To see our preparation for the number one team in the country and the defending national champions, I was very proud of our efforts" head coach Kat Mertz said. "Unfortunately, we picked up some injuries and we had to deal with that adversity."

Starting goalkeeper and captain Halla Hinriksdottir picked up an injury late in the game against USC and was replaced by sophomore Katelyn Carter. Mertz said both are goalkeepers are prepared for the weekend's fixtures.

Mertz also added that Washington State will be facing an Oregon Duck side that has a chip on its shoulder after a series of unfortunate events on the road.
The teams met Oct. 30 last season but neither side could break the deadlock. The match finished tied at one goal apiece.

Mertz alluded to the fact that Oregon must prepare for the Cougars' defensive setup along with their high-level work rate. Mertz described Washington State as "tough to break down." The Cougars are coming off of a strong win against No. 24 Utah (3-0).

"We have to make sure we're not focusing on what could have been or what should have been. We're upset that we didn't pick up those three points Sunday but let's attack this weekend with that same enthusiasm," Mertz said.

Enthusiasm is a perfect word to match the visual representation of home-field advantage. Fans and opponents will enter a Papé Field covered in yellow signs posted throughout the complex that read in bold, "Protect Papé."

When asked about the new addition to the stadium, Mertz smiled and added that that streak of home matches will be a great opportunity for Oregon to earn points in the Pac-12 standings.
"The mentality that we will have is don't let anyone dictate play on our home field," Mertz said.

Five out of Oregon's final eight matches will be at home and what more perfect way to end the season than in front of the home crowd. With that said, it will be tough. The Washington schools have a combined 14 wins and six losses with two draws.

After the WSU match, the Ducks will have a quick turnaround as they will face the Washington Huskies Sunday at 1 p.m. (Pac-12 Live Stream).

Fans are asked to wear pink for Sunday's match and will receive a $2 admission. The team will wear special pink jerseys, which will be auctioned off in a silent auction that will support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

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