This is the first in a three-part series previewing the 2017 soccer season. The Ducks open the year Friday night by hosting North Carolina State at 5 p.m. at Pape' Field.
With five backs returning from the regular rotation, plus both goalkeepers, Oregon could have one of the strongest back lines in the Pac-12. The Ducks allowed 1.27 goals per game in 2016, which trended down from the best defense of the Kat Mertz era of just over one goal allowed (1.04) in 2015. However, with a senior-led back line that includes Caitlyn Wong, Mia Costa and Michelle Rockey, as well as junior Brianne Parsons and sophomore Alyssa Hinojosa, the players' familiarity with each other could produce a tight net this fall.