Beavers Defeat Ducks In Match Play Thriller

Tuesday, March 14

Los Angeles, Calif.

All Day

Oregon State

Elite 8 Match Play

Photo by: Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics

March 14, 2017 | Women's Golf

Round 3 Results

By: Oregon State Communications

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Oregon State women's golf team took home a Civil War victory after winning a tiebreaker against 40th-ranked Oregon at the Gifford Great 8 Collegiate Match Play on Tuesday.

The Beavers and Ducks were tied 2.5-2.5 after the final match of the tourney. The first tiebreaker is number of holes won, and Oregon State edged Oregon, 6-5, in that category to take the victory.

In Tuesday's thrilling match, sophomore Olivia Benzin defeated Kelsey Ulep 3 and 2, freshman Nicole Schroeder knocked off Kathleen Scavo 3 and 2 and senior Elyse Smidinger earned a half point against Amy Matsuoka after finishing all square.

"Overall, I'm extremely happy with the way this team battled in all three matches," Oregon State head coach Dawn Shockley said. "Each day that battled until the end and today we came out on top."

Benzin went 3-0 in the tournament with a 2 and 1 win over Gabriella Then of USC, a 5 and 4 advantage over Rio Watanabe of Ohio State and Tuesday's 3 and 2 win over Ulep.

"Olivia yet again proved she belongs with the best of them, and I could not be more proud of her," Shockley said. "Today she battled back from being 2 down after 8 and won the match 3 and 2."

Junior Susie Cavanagh went 1-1-1 with a 4 and 3 win over Victoria Morgan of USC and a split with Jessica Porvasnik of Ohio State on Monday. Schroeder finished 1-2 after her Civil War victory over Scavo, while Smidinger and junior Hannah Swanson each picked up a half point in the two-day tournament.

"Elyse, who had struggled in the first two matches, proved her maturity and battled back from 3 down to tie the match on 18 against the Ducks," Shockley said.

It was a great event for Oregon State, as seven of the eight teams in the field are ranked among the Top 40 in the country. The Beavers took two of the nation's best to the wire on Monday before falling 3-2 to No. 2 USC and 3-2 to No. 27 Ohio State.

"All three matches we played this week came down to the last few holes," Shockley said. "We were never out of it and that is something we can be proud of. I hope this team walks away from this event with some confidence and knowing that they belong at the top."

No. 9 UCLA defeated No. 2 USC, 3-2, to win the championship. No. 36 Colorado took third place with a 3-2 win over No. 22 Purdue and No. 27 Ohio State won a tiebreaker over No. 8 Georgia for fifth place.

The Beavers have a long break before competing next at the PING/ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., from Friday, April 7 to Sunday, April 9. It will be the final tune-up before the Pac-12 Championship, which is scheduled for Monday, April 24 to Wednesday, April 26 in Tucson, Ariz.

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