TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State women's soccer team came up with a performance commensurate to the Senior Day occasion it was celebrating prior to its game against third-ranked Stanford on Sunday. Unfortunately it would not be enough as the short-handed Sun Devils fell to the Cardinal 2-1.
For the Sun Devils (6-10-2, 1-8-1 Pac-12) the main storyline was not unlike its other contests against the Pac-12's top teams: no shortness of fight or competitive will, but rather bad luck in the form of not having key personnel and simply – given their current situation – not being able to play the near-perfect game needed to beat the nation's best teams.
Against Stanford (16-1-1, 9-1), the Sun Devils showed the same resolve they had against No. 22 Colorado (lost 1-0), No. 4 USC (lost 2-0 in a game that was tied 0-0 approaching the 59th minute), and No. 18 Cal (lost 2-0 in a game that was tied 0-0 after nearly 75 minutes of play). On Sunday the game was tied at 0-0 after 50 minutes of play. A handball called on ASU in the box in the 52nd minute changed the trajectory of the game. The Cardinal would convert the ensuing penalty kick and then added another goal in the 64th minute against a Sun Devil team that suddenly had to open up a little more because because of needing a goal to tie the game.
"I thought we played really well," ASU head coach Kevin Boyd said. "It was an even first half. Second half, you could see us fatiguing a bit which is why you could see us make some changes to get some fresh bodies. We kept to the game plan. When I look at the whole of it, I thought we played well for what we have out on the field right now. We know we're lacking a couple of our impacting attacking players and I think we're playing the best we can play. I look at today and the team played their heart out. That's what everyone should want them to do: get out and play absolutely as hard as they can."
The Sun Devils recognized senior student-athletes Lucy Lara, Mckenzie Grossman, Larisa Staub, Annie Warren and Ashley March prior to Sunday's game. Whether it was Senior Day or another opportunity to go out and face another great challenge, Boyd said he sensed the energy level of his team was nearly identical to that of Thursday's game against Cal, a contest in which the Sun Devils came through with one of their best performances, but could not put the finishing touches on the opportunities it had created.
"I think they did a great job," Boyd said. "Again, it's a 2-1 game. In the last five games, three of the teams we've played are top 15 and two of them are top six. We were 0-0 at half with (No. 4) USC, 0-0 at half with (No. 18) Cal and 0-0 at half with (No. 3) Stanford. We're doing a good job of matching up to those teams. It's just when we're fatiguing, a little more of their soccer qualities are coming out on us and we're just not quite getting it done. There's just little things that are ailing us still and a lot of that has so do with we have so many players that are playing important minutes (for the first time) that just don't have all the pieces dialed in yet. They just need a little more time."
For March, Sunday's game nearly played out like something one might see out of Hollywood. She was given the start on Senior Day – the first start of her career in her second career game – and, considering one of Stanford's two goals came on a penalty kick, came through with a tremendous performance.
"It was an easy decision (to start Ashley)," Boyd said. "She was a senior and I always start seniors if at all possible on senior day. We've been in a situation this year where we've had four keepers that are almost even, arguably. On any given day we could have a different order on who ranks where 1-4. Ashley was out at the beginning of the season with an injury for six weeks. Sydney [Day] has been out twice with different injuries throughout the season so Emma [Malsy] and Megan [Delaney] were getting a lot more time. We got to this weekend and thought, "Why not give Ashley a go?"
March made two saves and was supported by another great effort from ASU's back line. The combination of Devyn Kelsey, the only Sun Devil who has started every game this season, Grossman, Madison Stark, Taylor Coon, Melinda Gutierrez and Hailey Zerbel all played a role in limiting Stanford to only four shots on goal.
The game's competitive drama was revived in the 67th minute when ASU forced the Cardinal into a critical miscue on a free kick by Lara. The end result was a goal for the Sun Devils after a Stanford defender redirected Lara's service into ASU's net.
The Sun Devils gave it their best shot to find the game-tying goal to send the game into overtime. However, once again missing their most dynamic offensive players in Aly Moon and Jazmarie Mader, ASU's attempt to generate offense often played into Stanford's hands.
"When you take chances you start opening up space in the back because you're running people forward and that's what we were doing," Boyd explained. "It wasn't a defensive problem at the end of the game it was just us not finding another goal."
The Sun Devils conclude the 2016 season on Friday (3 p.m.) when they host Arizona in the annual Territorial Cup Series game. Tickets for Friday's game can be purchased by clicking here.
For the Sun Devils (6-10-2, 1-8-1 Pac-12) the main storyline was not unlike its other contests against the Pac-12's top teams: no shortness of fight or competitive will, but rather bad luck in the form of not having key personnel and simply – given their current situation – not being able to play the near-perfect game needed to beat the nation's best teams.
Against Stanford (16-1-1, 9-1), the Sun Devils showed the same resolve they had against No. 22 Colorado (lost 1-0), No. 4 USC (lost 2-0 in a game that was tied 0-0 approaching the 59th minute), and No. 18 Cal (lost 2-0 in a game that was tied 0-0 after nearly 75 minutes of play). On Sunday the game was tied at 0-0 after 50 minutes of play. A handball called on ASU in the box in the 52nd minute changed the trajectory of the game. The Cardinal would convert the ensuing penalty kick and then added another goal in the 64th minute against a Sun Devil team that suddenly had to open up a little more because because of needing a goal to tie the game.
"I thought we played really well," ASU head coach Kevin Boyd said. "It was an even first half. Second half, you could see us fatiguing a bit which is why you could see us make some changes to get some fresh bodies. We kept to the game plan. When I look at the whole of it, I thought we played well for what we have out on the field right now. We know we're lacking a couple of our impacting attacking players and I think we're playing the best we can play. I look at today and the team played their heart out. That's what everyone should want them to do: get out and play absolutely as hard as they can."
The Sun Devils recognized senior student-athletes Lucy Lara, Mckenzie Grossman, Larisa Staub, Annie Warren and Ashley March prior to Sunday's game. Whether it was Senior Day or another opportunity to go out and face another great challenge, Boyd said he sensed the energy level of his team was nearly identical to that of Thursday's game against Cal, a contest in which the Sun Devils came through with one of their best performances, but could not put the finishing touches on the opportunities it had created.
"I think they did a great job," Boyd said. "Again, it's a 2-1 game. In the last five games, three of the teams we've played are top 15 and two of them are top six. We were 0-0 at half with (No. 4) USC, 0-0 at half with (No. 18) Cal and 0-0 at half with (No. 3) Stanford. We're doing a good job of matching up to those teams. It's just when we're fatiguing, a little more of their soccer qualities are coming out on us and we're just not quite getting it done. There's just little things that are ailing us still and a lot of that has so do with we have so many players that are playing important minutes (for the first time) that just don't have all the pieces dialed in yet. They just need a little more time."
For March, Sunday's game nearly played out like something one might see out of Hollywood. She was given the start on Senior Day – the first start of her career in her second career game – and, considering one of Stanford's two goals came on a penalty kick, came through with a tremendous performance.
"It was an easy decision (to start Ashley)," Boyd said. "She was a senior and I always start seniors if at all possible on senior day. We've been in a situation this year where we've had four keepers that are almost even, arguably. On any given day we could have a different order on who ranks where 1-4. Ashley was out at the beginning of the season with an injury for six weeks. Sydney [Day] has been out twice with different injuries throughout the season so Emma [Malsy] and Megan [Delaney] were getting a lot more time. We got to this weekend and thought, "Why not give Ashley a go?"
March made two saves and was supported by another great effort from ASU's back line. The combination of Devyn Kelsey, the only Sun Devil who has started every game this season, Grossman, Madison Stark, Taylor Coon, Melinda Gutierrez and Hailey Zerbel all played a role in limiting Stanford to only four shots on goal.
The game's competitive drama was revived in the 67th minute when ASU forced the Cardinal into a critical miscue on a free kick by Lara. The end result was a goal for the Sun Devils after a Stanford defender redirected Lara's service into ASU's net.
The Sun Devils gave it their best shot to find the game-tying goal to send the game into overtime. However, once again missing their most dynamic offensive players in Aly Moon and Jazmarie Mader, ASU's attempt to generate offense often played into Stanford's hands.
"When you take chances you start opening up space in the back because you're running people forward and that's what we were doing," Boyd explained. "It wasn't a defensive problem at the end of the game it was just us not finding another goal."
The Sun Devils conclude the 2016 season on Friday (3 p.m.) when they host Arizona in the annual Territorial Cup Series game. Tickets for Friday's game can be purchased by clicking here.