STILLWATER, Okla. – In a game that included a 40-minute lightning delay, the No. 18 Arizona State women’s soccer team dropped its second consecutive contest, falling to Oklahoma State 3-2 on Friday night.
For the second time in as many games, the Sun Devils lost a contest in which they had the advantage in shots (14-8 in Sunday’s loss to Texas Tech and 17-10 on Friday night). ASU was also plus four (5-1) in corner kicks against the Cowgirls.
“There were some good moments in the game, but not very many in the second half,” said ASU head coach Kevin Boyd. “Things that we pride ourselves on I didn’t think showed up as well in the second half.
“Credit to Oklahoma State, in the second half they played hard. We outshot them and had more corners, but they found the goals. If I rated who worked harder in the second half I would give it to their team and that is not who we are at all. That is a statement I made to our team afterwards and that we have to figure out who we are going to be.”
It took 81 seconds for the game’s first goal to be scored as Oklahoma State’s Delaney Kiely took advantage of an open look from eight yards out to put the Cowgirls up 1-0. The goal was set up by a corner kick that was struck by a pair of Oklahoma State players before it bounced to Kieley who sent her shot off the crossbar and into the net.
The momentum slowly started to swing in ASU’s favor as the Sun Devils started to have more quality possessions on Oklahoma State’s side of the field. In the 21st minute the Sun Devils would draw even with the Cowgirls after Larisa Staub sent a pass to Cali Farquharson who battled with a defender for possession of the ball. Farquharson came up with the ball, made a quick turn and slotted her shot into the net for her fifth goal of the season and 39th of her career.
Fifteen minutes later the teams had to clear the field as lightning was detected in the area. Unlike in its game against San Diego State on Aug. 31 in which heavy rain eventually forced the cancellation of the game, ASU would get to play this one out after a 40-minute delay.
It did not take ASU long to get the advantage after play resumed as Lucy Lara found the sweet spot on a free kick from 22 yards that gave the Sun Devils a 2-1 lead.
“I thought we did really well battling back,” said Boyd. “We came back and scored two goals and went into halftime up 2-1. That was after a 40-minute lightning break and then it took seven minutes to get the game going again and then we play for 10 minutes and have halftime so it was a disjointed game”
A goal by Oklahoma State’s Laurene Tresfield (header from inside the box) tied the game at 2-2 in the 58th minute and another by Anna Beffer (tapped in on a cross in front of the goal) in the 69th minute once again put the Cowgirls in front 3-2.
The Sun Devils were not without chances of their own in the second half. In the 65th minute, Jazmarie Mader, who scored two goals in last week’s win over Pepperdine, sent a shot from 25 yards out that forced Oklahoma State keeper Michela Ongaro to make a diving save. A pair of corner kicks would ensue, but ASU was not able to get a look on either chance.
In the final 30 seconds, following a corner kick by Alyssa Martinez, the Devils got off three shots in the midst of a mad scramble for the ball but were not able to get the equalizer that would have sent the game to overtime.
“We did not have enough quality going to goal,” said Boyd of ASU’s offense in the second half. “The chances we got were not on frame, which was a problem last week as well.”
The Sun Devils conclude their road trip on Sunday (noon CT/10 a.m. PT) when they take on Oklahoma. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Arizona Plus, FOX Sports Oklahoma, FOX Sports Southwest Plus and FOX College Sports.