Nov. 15, 2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Two first half goals by freshmen Elizabeth Bogus and Brittany Cooper propelled the Arizona State soccer team (12-6-2) over Washington State (11-7-2), 2-1, tonight in the first round of the NCAA Championships at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Bogus looked to put the Sun Devils ahead in the 20th minute when she slipped behind the WSU defense on a breakaway, but her ball just slid to the left of the goal. However, Bogus and freshman Manya Makoski would hook up, as they have all season long to put the Devils up 1-0. In the 24th minute, Makoski put a perfect through ball onto a breaking Bogus that she one-timed pass the outstretched WSU goalkeeper Sara Leibowitz. The assist for Makoski, her ninth of the year, set a new single-season record at Arizona State.
Arizona State would extend their lead to 2-0 in the 39th minute. The Devils again got the ball deep into Cougar territory when Cooper received the ball on the right side of the box of off a deflection and drilled towards the goal when it struck WSU's Mariette Boyce, redirecting it into the net for the score. The eventual game-winner was Cooper's second of the year.
In the second half, both team's kept up the pressure, but the Cougars cut the lead in half in the 58th minute of play. Rachel Rodrick kicked the ball from 15 yards out that was also misdirected by another player, allowing ASU goalkeeper Kelly Fitzgerald only to watch it clip off her hands and roll to the back of the net.
After the Cougars' goal, the momentum shifted towards WSU's bench when they started pressuring more chances at the ASU end. The Devils defense stepped up and cleared the ball out of their end in the final minutes to preserve the win. Arizona State out shot Washington State 15-13 with Fitzgerald making six saves to Leibowitz's two.
Arizona State is now 2-1 all-time in NCAA Championship play, advancing again to the second round as they did back in 2000.
Up next, Arizona State will face the winner of the Santa Clara vs. Creighton match on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Pacific.