1 Something far from basic?
Barracks bed
“___ a Feeling” - Boston
Game with zombie pigmen and the Ender dragon
Will Ferrel Christmas classic
Avatar: The Last ___ bender
“Try walking ___ in my shoes”
Sought forgiveness at a cathedral, maybe
Rage
Octa- plus two
It’s built through hard times?
Klutz
TV network you can say is a “blast” to watch
Barber’s task
Rendezvoused
Card game with +4 and reverse cards
How Caeley Goldstein’s leadership and presence in the box has sparked Oregon women’s soccer.
By Max Koebel Sports Writer
In a game that prioritizes defense as much as soccer, having a goalkeeper that can hold their ground is arguably the first big step to a successful team. As the Oregon women’s soccer team rebounds from some disappointing seasons in recent years, protecting the goal has been a strong suit for the program since they acquired Caeley Goldstein from the transfer portal ahead of this season.
The San Francisco Bay Area native graduated high school in 2020, where she was named First Team All-League her senior year and an honorable mention as a sophomore. She was also selected for an Olympic Development Program for youth soccer players.
Goldstein is in her sixth season of collegiate soccer, with Oregon being her third school. She began her college career at Washington, where she saw limited playing time due to a medical absence. She transferred to the University of California, Davis in 2022, where she was coached by current Oregon head coach Tracy Joyner.
Goldstein made 57 starts at University of California Davis and allowed an average of 1.06 goals per game. She recorded a total of 249 saves before arriving in Eugene. Her career high is recording 12 saves while allowing
zero goals. The teams that Goldstein was on combined for a 33-18-8 record with 20 shutouts while she was on the field.
More than anything, Goldstein values that soccer is a team sport and her success is driven by how her teammates set up on defense, making her job easier. It is the way the defenders in front of her are positioned that has allowed her to have the success she has had in defending the goal.
“Just trusting each other,” Goldstein said after Oregon’s 0-0 tie against Northwestern. “I like to be part of the game too, so just staying on our feet and just making it an easy angle for me to make a save.”
As a tenured member of the game, Goldstein believes it is up to her and her veteran teammates to build confidence and talent in the younger players to make the team better.
“Building confidence, especially because Selah (Simms) is new, so just building confidence within her,” Goldstein said. “She’s got a lot of good people around her. Me and Jazzy (Young) are sixth years, and on the other side, Jayde (Holley) is a fifth year. We have a ton of experience back there and it’s really just making the right decisions, staying on our feet and trusting ourselves and each other.”
Since the new coach and player duo touched down in the Willamette Valley, the overall record might not be where the Ducks want it as
they sit at (2-7-2), but Goldstein has held her ground and given Oregon a chance. She has allowed just 12 goals and made 40 saves.
Now that the Ducks are facing Big Ten opponents, they are adjusting to a different style of play that involves the players being positioned higher up and the goalkeeper leaving the box more often.
“Since we went into a three back,” Goldstein said. “I feel like I have to be part of the back line now, so I’m learning to use my feet a lot more. I knew they were gonna slip balls in behind. A lot of the Big Ten schools do that, or they realize that we’re really high up, so I also have to be attached to the team and play high.”
As Oregon enters the final weeks of its season, the new additions to the team still have not translated to better results. Regardless of what happens on the far end of the field, the Ducks can hold confidence that their opponents will face a difficult obstacle when tasked with attacking a goal guarded by Caeley Goldstein.
USC vs. Oregon
Friday, Oct. 3
Eugene at 1 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sunday, Oct. 9
Columbus at 4 p.m.
Penn St vs. Oregon
Thursday, Oct. 12
University Park at 10 a.m.
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Thursday, Oct. 16
University Park at 6 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Oregon
Thursday, Oct. 19
Eugene at 12 p.m.
With 15 new faces, Oregon women's volleyball is gearing up under firstyear head coach Trent Kersten to face the front-line challenges of the Big Ten Conference.
By Rachel McConaghie Sports Reporter
Oregon women’s volleyball (9-2) has come a long way since its early tests. Now riding a four match win streak, the Ducks have begun to settle in and find their rhythm under the new helm of head coach Trent Kersten.
“We’re all new here, so (we) just mesh well as a team. I feel like we know that we can do this and we can compete with some of the more top teams,” freshman Alanah Clemente said in her season preview.
In just her first year as a Duck, opposite hitter Clemente has proven herself as a leader of this Oregon front line. After a stellar season opening weekend performance at the EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite in Bozeman, Montana, she earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Second in kills on the season with 94, Clemente is a key component to Oregon’s successes.
In front of Clemente in kills with 130 on the season is
Michigan transfer Valentina Vaulet, a junior opposite hitter from Córdoba, Argentina. Vaulet has also shown she can be a difference maker for this Oregon program. Her elite arm speed and aggression at the net is why she leads the team in total points (165.5) and points per set (4.14).
In a sweep over the University of Portland, the Ducks seemed to find a cohesive game plan that allowed them to execute. Despite this home opener success, Kersten was vocal post-match that the performance was not up to team standard. Problems arose with rotation issues and not being able to communicate effectively who was up next to serve.
“We can do so much better than we are right now. We have to improve on the defensive side of the ball. We’re not where we need to be. I want to be very clear with everyone: we’re going to work our tails off to get where we need to go to prepare for the Big Ten and more,” Kersten said.
Oregon’s growth has been fast and necessarily so. Just a month ago, the Ducks opened the season with a poor performance showing up to in-state rival Oregon State in a preseason exhibition. But on Sept. 18, they returned the favor, taking down the Beavers 3-1 on the road in Corvallis.
“I think this team has come so far in a little over a month. You’ve got 15 new players that are just figuring each other out and figuring out how to compliment each other. I think that’s kind of been the story of our season so far — we haven’t been able to get into a rhythm in any sort of lineup, we’ve changed in just about every match so
far. So I’d love for them to start to build and start to have something where we compliment each other. We’re still looking for some of that magic,” Kersten said.
The “magic” may be starting to appear, thanks in large part to standout performances across the court. These adjustments for the Ducks have come from the need to find a set rotation among the young new group. With eight true freshmen on the 16 player roster, the Ducks have had to rely on rapid development and team chemistry to stay competitive.
In their second duel versus the Beavers, the Ducks seemed significantly more comfortable on the court, able to move seamlessly between rotations.
“We’re feeling great; I think we’re really pumped to go after it, ready to start conference play. I’m so happy that I’m here. I’m so grateful and I think we show that on the court,” Clemente said.
What lies ahead for the Ducks will be a true test of what this team is capable of. In the NCAA AVCA preseason volleyball rankings Oregon will face off against five top 15 teams. At home, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin, ranking No. 12, 15 and 7 consecutively, have al been top volleyball programs in the Big Ten year after year. On the road, the Ducks will face off the No. 1 ranked Nebraska and No. 10 Purdue.
With nine wins under their belts, the Ducks will look to start off the Big Ten season strong. Oregon will open conference play versus Illinois on the road on Sept. 26.
