Lacrosse: Ducks Hold off Davidson, 7-6

EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon's Sami Kiser scored a goal with 11:14 left to break a 6-6 tie and the Duck defense held off a feisty Davidson offense the rest of the way to preserve Oregon's fourth-straight victory, 7-6.

For the Ducks (4-1), it was also their third consecutive victory by one goal. Davidson fell to 1-3 with the loss.

Davidson's Ana Fucigna scored the first goal of the game just over three minutes in to give the Wildcats their first and only lead of the game.

Oregon would go on to rattle off the next five goals to grab a 5-1 advantage. Senior Kate Cathell and sophomore Devon Frazer each scored two of the five goals and Kiser added the other.

But the relentless Wildcats were able to cut into the Oregon lead by scoring three consecutive goals of their own. The Ducks carried the 5-4 lead into the break.

In the second, Lindsay Cooper scored a goal for the Wildcats to even the score at five with 22:16 remaining but Cathell responded with her third goal of the night and 11th of the season at the 17:44 mark. For Cathell, it marked the third game of the year where she scored at least three goals.

With 15 minutes to go, Alanna Parker knotted the score at six with an unassisted goal, but Kiser's second goal of the day off of Shannon Propst's third assist with 11:14 left put the Ducks up for good.

Cathell, Frazer and Kiser were Oregon's only goal-scorers. Propst's assist total accounted for three out of the four Duck assists. Hayley Milner had the other.

Oregon goalie Salliebeth Finnegan (3-0) picked up her third-straight win in goal and made a season-high nine saves in the Duck triumph. Milner, who also caused two turnovers, and senior Bridget Morrison led the Ducks in the ground ball category (three each).

The Ducks out-shot the Wildcats 19-18 and won the ground ball battle, 14-7. Davidson, however, won 11 out of the match's 15 draw controls.

Oregon will ride its four-game winning streak into a showdown with No. 2 Florida next Saturday, March 16. Match time from Eugene is scheduled for 1 p.m.