TEMPE, Ariz. – After a tight overtime defeat earlier in the weekend, the Arizona State women's soccer team bounced back in a big way in Sunday's non-conference finale.
The Sun Devils (3-4-1) used a barrage of goals in the second half to clinch their biggest victory of the year thus far, scoring four times in the final 45 minutes, to roll to a 4-0 win over visiting Weber State.
"We showed up today," said head coach Graham Winkworth after the win. "We were aggressive and hit the target 12 times in the second half. It's nice to take a positive performance like this into league play."
The match saw Arizona State take 31 shots, the team's highest output of the season to date. Winkworth attributed the high volume to a patient but clinical attack that paid off in the second stanza.
"As the game went on we were able to hold possession and the opposition started to tire out," Winkwoth said. "We moved the ball around so well and patiently in the first half that the game started to open up in the second half. We were a lot more clinical today and that was the most pleasing thing."
The first half saw Arizona State take 14 shots without finding the back of the net, two of which came on a rare indirect free kick inside the box that was given to the Sun Devils. But while the Wildcat (1-7-0) defense was able to hold strong in the opening stanza, it was only a matter of time until the home team broke through.
Junior defender Anglea Boyle drew first blood in the game's 47th-minute, heading a ball into the back of the net off a corner kick from Jemma Purfield. The goal was Boyle's second of the season.
Arizona State then added some insurance in a big way, netting its final three goals of the match in a span of four minutes. Midfielder Devyn Kelsey had the loudest strike, a bomb from 25 yards out that made the score 2-0 and created some separation.
"I've been waiting for one," said Kelsey when asked about scoring her first goal of the year. "That felt really good."
It was a pair of forwards who netted the team's final two goals of the afternoon, as Phoenix-natives Natalie Stephens and Olive Jones each scored in quick succession to give the team its widest victory of the season.
Freshman goalkeeper Nikki Panas posted another shutout in the win, her second clean sheet of the season.
The shutout victory allows the Sun Devils to carry some momentum into Pac-12 play, which begins Friday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
"The Pac-12 is the best league in the country," Winkworth said when asked about what lies ahead. "We'll give all of these talented teams coming in here as good a game as possible and try to have more performances like today's."
Arizona State will be back in action this Friday when the team welcomes Oregon State to Tempe. Kickoff in the Pac-12 opener is set for 7 p.m. and fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil Soccer season by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter.
The Sun Devils (3-4-1) used a barrage of goals in the second half to clinch their biggest victory of the year thus far, scoring four times in the final 45 minutes, to roll to a 4-0 win over visiting Weber State.
"We showed up today," said head coach Graham Winkworth after the win. "We were aggressive and hit the target 12 times in the second half. It's nice to take a positive performance like this into league play."
The match saw Arizona State take 31 shots, the team's highest output of the season to date. Winkworth attributed the high volume to a patient but clinical attack that paid off in the second stanza.
"As the game went on we were able to hold possession and the opposition started to tire out," Winkwoth said. "We moved the ball around so well and patiently in the first half that the game started to open up in the second half. We were a lot more clinical today and that was the most pleasing thing."
The first half saw Arizona State take 14 shots without finding the back of the net, two of which came on a rare indirect free kick inside the box that was given to the Sun Devils. But while the Wildcat (1-7-0) defense was able to hold strong in the opening stanza, it was only a matter of time until the home team broke through.
Junior defender Anglea Boyle drew first blood in the game's 47th-minute, heading a ball into the back of the net off a corner kick from Jemma Purfield. The goal was Boyle's second of the season.
Arizona State then added some insurance in a big way, netting its final three goals of the match in a span of four minutes. Midfielder Devyn Kelsey had the loudest strike, a bomb from 25 yards out that made the score 2-0 and created some separation.
"I've been waiting for one," said Kelsey when asked about scoring her first goal of the year. "That felt really good."
It was a pair of forwards who netted the team's final two goals of the afternoon, as Phoenix-natives Natalie Stephens and Olive Jones each scored in quick succession to give the team its widest victory of the season.
Can't stop, won't stop ?????@Olive12Jones nets ANOTHER Sun Devil goal, giving ASU a 4-0 lead with just over 10 minutes left! pic.twitter.com/0E3Ep3cSLR
— Sun Devil Soccer (@SunDevilSoccer) September 17, 2017
Freshman goalkeeper Nikki Panas posted another shutout in the win, her second clean sheet of the season.
The shutout victory allows the Sun Devils to carry some momentum into Pac-12 play, which begins Friday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
"The Pac-12 is the best league in the country," Winkworth said when asked about what lies ahead. "We'll give all of these talented teams coming in here as good a game as possible and try to have more performances like today's."
Arizona State will be back in action this Friday when the team welcomes Oregon State to Tempe. Kickoff in the Pac-12 opener is set for 7 p.m. and fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil Soccer season by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter.