The Oregon girls soccer team does not have one primary player to key on defensively. The Hawks are content to play as a unit, and let the shots happen where they may.

Freshman Jaqlynn Rufer was the beneficiary of the team-first approach on Tuesday night in a 1-0 Big Northern Conference win at Dixon.

Defense, communication and ball control also made the difference in the shutout as Mili Zavala had seven saves in net.

Oregon senior team captain and midfielder Sarah Eckardt helped control things offensively for the Hawks, who out-shot Dixon 12-7 on goal. She said containing things on defense helped make the difference as the Hawks (11-3-1, 6-2 BNC) won a second straight game, bouncing back from a 3-2 loss at Byron in penalty kicks.

“We were just trying to make some combination plays and make sure we were taking good shots instead of just kicking the ball everywhere,” she said. “That was definitely the biggest thing that won us the game, helping each other and cutting off their runs.”

Rufer’s shot in the 24th minute just slipped past Dixon keeper Zoey Williams, who kept things tight with 11 saves for the Duchesses (9-6-1, 5-2) on senior night. Oregon kept the pressure on with 24 total shots in the game.

“We definitely work well as a team,” Eckardt said. “It’s great to have us talking to each other so we can make good passes, calling out the runs, saying who’s open and just communicating. It really helps our combinations work.”

Oregon wrapped up third place in the conference behind Byron and Genoa-Kingston. The Tigers beat G-K 5-0 on Tuesday night.

“We’ve lost a few close conference games this season, and these are the kind of teams we’re expecting to see in the postseason,” Eckardt said. “So it was really good to get this win and show ourselves that we can do it so that we can go far in the postseason.”

The Hawks are a No. 2 seed and open the postseason on May 19 against Pecatonica in a Class 1A Rockford Christian Regional semifinal.

Eckardt said the team’s balanced offensive approach is a plus.

“I think one of our strengths as a team is when people scout us, there’s not like a star player that people say to watch out for. Everyone can be a threat,” she said. “And our freshman and sophomores are really good. So not only are we good this year, but we’ll be good for years to come.”

She said the defense was “phenomenal” in the win.

“They really contained Dixon’s best player [Jenna Harrison] and kept her out,” Eckardt said. “She barely got any shots off and our keeper has been doing really well. She’s improved a lot this year and she had the coolest save I’ve ever seen in my life today.

“She dove and hit the corner header out of bounds. I wouldn’t have been able to save it, that was really good.”

Oregon coach Seger Larson said the defense stepped up, including Addie Rufer and others helping to neutralize Harrison. And Zavala read the game well.

“There was a ball I thought for sure was going in and she had a diving save backwards that really ended up saving the game for us,” he said.

Larson said Eckardt has provided great leadership and versatility for the team.

“I will put her anywhere on the field,” he said. “Wherever the need for that day, she’s able to step up and really help the team out. She’s the one that helps create our offense.”

Dixon had opportunities, including a ball that was narrowly ruled a save.

“It was just a matter of connecting passes, getting to the ball, stepping to the ball, which we didn’t entirely display today, myself included,” Dixon’s Rachel Lance said. “I think just the difference today was mostly the communication aspect of it.”

She said Oregon took advantage of good positioning and had good passes.

“Our problem was just not stepping to the ball quick enough,” she said. “It’s all about timing.”

Dixon is a No. 3 seed at the Class 1A Byron Regional. The Duchesses face Rockford Lutheran on May 19 in a regional semifinal matchup.

Lance said there are always things to work on with just a couple weeks left in the regular season.

“I think it’s just continuing to improve and work hard in practice,” she said, “continuing to work at getting better and constant improvement.”

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Dixon goalkeeper Zoey Williams eyes the ball on a shot by Oregon’s Jaqlynn Rufer Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The ball just slipped through the hands for the first goal of the game. (Alex T. Paschal)