Nov. 14, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - It only took a school-record 18 seconds in the match to set the tone for No. 14 Arizona State's (13-4-3) 3-1 win over No. 20 Cal Poly (18-2-2) in the first round of the NCAA Regional at Buck Shaw Field in Santa Clara, Calif. ASU then scored two more times in the second half just 51 seconds apart to put the match out of reach. The three goals scored against Cal Poly were the most they had allowed all year as they came into the match with the nation's best goals-against average.
The Sun Devils kicked off to start the match and as the ball headed down the left flank, Manya Makoski collected it and continued down the left side beating her defender where she then crossed it in the middle to Katie Mahoney as she tapped it in just 18 seconds into the match for her first career goal. The Cal Poly goalkeeper appeared to come out towards another ASU player but missed the ball as it slid pass her to Mahoney. The goal was the fastest scored in ASU's eight-year history.
ASU posted five shots in the first half, while Cal Poly had three with one good scoring chance. Sharon Day took a hard shot from the top of the right box from 18 yards out, but Kim Bingham made a jumping catch to corral the ball for one of her two saves of the half. Cal Poly also tallied seven fouls in the first half along with one yellow card on Becky Clark for a tackle from behind.
In the second half at the 53:31 mark, ASU's Brittany Cooper set up one of the team's nine corner kicks in the game. As she served the ball towards the goal, Kathleen Dely ran in and headed just between the right post and the Cal Poly goalkeeper for her first goal of the year and a 2-0 lead. Just as fast as everyone was settling in after that goal, the Sun Devils struck again at the 54:22 mark. Off of an Elizabeth Bogus breakaway, she blasted a shot at the Cal Poly goalkeeper, who deflected the ball back out, only it went back out to a streaking Cooper who cleaned up the deflection for her team-leading 10th goal of the year.
The Mustangs then cut the lead to 3-1 in the 74th minute when Anna LaRash hit a through ball to a breaking Erin Martin who chipped it into the top right 90 over Bingham.
Up next, the Sun Devils will take on the winner of the Santa Clara/Stanford match on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time with the winner advancing to the Round of 16.