TUCSON, Ariz. – An 88th-minute goal broke a 1-1 tie and allowed Texas Tech to sneak past Arizona State, 2-1, in Friday's Wildcat Classic opener.
The Sun Devils (1-3-1) fought valiantly for the duration of the match, using Christina Edwards' first goal of the season and a stout defensive effort to avoid trailing until the game's final seconds.
"I thought we lacked a little bit of composure tonight," head coach Graham Winkworth said. "We have got to be brave enough to want the ball. I have got to find a way to create a winning mentality within the squad. Unfortunately we have had a period where a few of our players aren't used to winning too many matches, and I have got to find a way to build a mentality where it is expected. We have got to get to a place where we walk on the field and expect to win matches. We as coaches have to find a way to build that within our program."
Amidst a light but steady desert rain, Winkworth's team drew first blood and took a 1-0 lead in the match's 14th-minute. Junior Jemma Purfield set the goal up with a curling entry off a corner kick, and it was Edwards who played the ball off her chest before wrapping her right leg around and scoring with a laser into the back of the net.
It didn't take long for the Red Raiders (5-1-0) to answer and even the score at 1-1, but goalkeeper Nikki Panas was nails from then on. The freshman dazzled on three separate occasions in the final 20 minutes of the first half, using her aggressive style to go both horizontal and vertical in an effort to keep the match tied.
Both teams were assertive in their attack in the last 45, but Arizona State ultimately left unable to score its second goal of the day.
The Sun Devils took six shots in that second half, controlling the ball nicely while continually peppering the Texas Tech defense. Their last look came with just 50 seconds remaining, but forward Olive Jones had her shot at an equalizer scooped up at the goal line.
"We have got to have more of a killer instinct," Winkworth added. "I am going to have to work harder as a coach to help create that. I felt that the best period of the game for us was right after halftime where I felt that we were controlling the possession, but when Devin Kelsey went down it really changed our composure. We started to give the ball away too easily. The game is a simple game and we need to not overcomplicate things and play simple passes."
The Red Raiders ended up with a slight edge in shots taken (11-10) and had a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Arizona State will look to bounce back on Sunday when it faces Florida Gulf Coast in its Wildcat Classic finale. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
The Sun Devils (1-3-1) fought valiantly for the duration of the match, using Christina Edwards' first goal of the season and a stout defensive effort to avoid trailing until the game's final seconds.
"I thought we lacked a little bit of composure tonight," head coach Graham Winkworth said. "We have got to be brave enough to want the ball. I have got to find a way to create a winning mentality within the squad. Unfortunately we have had a period where a few of our players aren't used to winning too many matches, and I have got to find a way to build a mentality where it is expected. We have got to get to a place where we walk on the field and expect to win matches. We as coaches have to find a way to build that within our program."
Amidst a light but steady desert rain, Winkworth's team drew first blood and took a 1-0 lead in the match's 14th-minute. Junior Jemma Purfield set the goal up with a curling entry off a corner kick, and it was Edwards who played the ball off her chest before wrapping her right leg around and scoring with a laser into the back of the net.
.@JemmaPurfield ?? @christinaed9 ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/CRYI1wfp9A
— Sun Devil Soccer (@SunDevilSoccer) September 9, 2017
It didn't take long for the Red Raiders (5-1-0) to answer and even the score at 1-1, but goalkeeper Nikki Panas was nails from then on. The freshman dazzled on three separate occasions in the final 20 minutes of the first half, using her aggressive style to go both horizontal and vertical in an effort to keep the match tied.
Both teams were assertive in their attack in the last 45, but Arizona State ultimately left unable to score its second goal of the day.
The Sun Devils took six shots in that second half, controlling the ball nicely while continually peppering the Texas Tech defense. Their last look came with just 50 seconds remaining, but forward Olive Jones had her shot at an equalizer scooped up at the goal line.
"We have got to have more of a killer instinct," Winkworth added. "I am going to have to work harder as a coach to help create that. I felt that the best period of the game for us was right after halftime where I felt that we were controlling the possession, but when Devin Kelsey went down it really changed our composure. We started to give the ball away too easily. The game is a simple game and we need to not overcomplicate things and play simple passes."
The Red Raiders ended up with a slight edge in shots taken (11-10) and had a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Arizona State will look to bounce back on Sunday when it faces Florida Gulf Coast in its Wildcat Classic finale. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.