EUGENE, Ore. Junior Megan Carver (Baltimore, Md.) had three goals and two assists as the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team defeated No. 18 Oregon 13-12 in its third straight road game.

Carver led all players with five points. Denver (7-5, 1-0) also received three goals and one assist from sophomore Ali Flury (Arnold, Md.) while junior Karen Morton (Adelaide, Australia) recorded a hat trick as well. Junior Steph Coyne (Baltimore, Md.) had three assists in the Pioneers’ first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game of the season.  

Oregon (9-4, 1-2) was led by Theresa Waldron, Jen May and Ilsa van den Berg, who each had three points.

The Pioneers took a 3-0 lead early in the first half before the Ducks found the back of the net to make it 3-1. The teams then traded goals, but Denver extended its lead with goals by freshman Tulley Stapp (Denver, Colo.) and Morton in the final 2:09 of the half. Oregon netted a free position shot with 0:29 remaining to head into the intermission trailing the Pioneers 6-3.

Stapp scored her second goal of the day just 1:08 into the second half. Oregon’s Van den Berg scored her first goal of the game 6:12 later, but Flury responded for DU just three seconds later to make it 8-4.

Oregon did not back down as May scored with 22:04 to play. Carver and sophomore Lexi Sanders (Greenwood Village, Colo.) netted back-to-back goals in the next five minutes to put Denver up 10-5, but the Ducks scored four consecutive goals to come within one at 10-9 with over 13 minutes to play.

Sanders and Morton then extended the DU lead back to three with goals at the 20:04 and 21:55 marks, but Van den Berg completed her hat trick with 4:44 remaining to keep Oregon in it at 12-10. Carver tallied the game-winner for Denver less than one minute later. The Ducks closed the gap with two goals in the final 2:25, but the Pioneers held on for the 13-12 victory.

Senior Becky Childs (Phoenix, Md.) made nine saves in the win while sophomore Katie Gold (Centennial, Colo.) made one. For Oregon, Anna Poponyak and Hannah Jones split the time in net with Poponyak making 11 saves. Oregon outshot Denver 31-27.

With the win, the Pioneers moved to 5-0 all-time against the Ducks and snapped a two-game losing streak.

Denver closes out its four-game road stretch when the team takes on George Washington next Sunday, April 13 in Washington D.C. at 10 a.m. MT.  The Pioneers return home to Barton Lacrosse Stadium Friday, April 18 for a 2 p.m. meeting with MPSF foe UC-Davis.