TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State women's soccer team returned to the pitch this week in preparation for the 2018 season. Despite only being together for full team workouts, the Sun Devils will hit the ground running with a doubleheader against New Mexico State (3 p.m.) and Colorado College (7 p.m.) Sunday afternoon at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
"I have not been this happy on a soccer field in a very long time," head coach Graham Winkowrth said of his team's progress through the first three days of training. "The leadership we have seen from our returning players has been off the charts. Things have been really positive. From watching our practices, it would be hard to tell who is new and who is not. The newcomers have settled in like a duck to water and I think that has a lot to do with our older players and how they have made our new players feel welcome here at ASU."
The Sun Devils will embark on the 2018 campaign under second year head coach Graham Winkworth, who guided the 2017 squad to a 5-11-3 overall record in what was arguably one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Sun Devils made incredible strides last season, finishing 52 spots higher in the RPI following the 2017 regular season than the end of the 2016 season.
"I have now had a year and a half with some of our upper classmen," Winkworth said of entering his second year as head coach. "Those players understand my philosophies on and off the field. They understand the culture we are trying to create. We spoke about how to bring the new players into camp and they get that. They all want to be a part of that and the leadership from those ladies has really made the transition a lot of fun, and really fast. Despite being just a few days in, we are ahead of where I was hoping we would be at this time. That has really been a good thing."
Despite being able to rely on the senior leadership in 2017, Winkworth was able to bring in a number of new faces to the roster who all contributed heavily in the Sun Devils' success. In total, 23 different players logged minutes for the Sun Devils during the 2017 season, and of those, 10 were new to the roster, including Angela Boyle, Nikki Panas, Jemma Purfield and Olive Jones who finished the season among the team leaders in minutes played. Of the 19 goals scored last season, 10 came from players who were new to the ASU roster.
"The level of talent on the field has really increased this year," Winkworth said of his new-look Sun Devil roster. "The increased intensity has really made practice a lot of fun to start the year. Last night's session was one of the best I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, and that level of play has carried over into today's training. This team is really hard working and really positive. I just hope we can maintain that momentum all year because right now we are in a good place."
The future looks bright for the Sun Devils in this season and beyond, with 16 of the historic 18-players who signed with ASU in the fall arriving on campus for the start of the 2018 season. Freshmen Eva Van Deursen and Alexia Delgado will join the team in the next few weeks, following their appearances with their national teams in the U20 World Cup in France.
"I could name a bunch of players that have stood out to me so far," Winkworth added of the increased depth in this season's roster. "Of the new players, Jen Fortner has proven that she is a hard worker. She has arrived in great shape and has shown the type of work ethic that is expected in our program. Olivia Nguyen is another one who has come in in great condition and has shown some sharpness technically. We have seen some others who we are very excited about as well. In our returners, a lot of them set their personal bests in the fitness tests. I have to give a special shout out to Kylie Miniefield who did a phenomenal job in her testing the other day. I am really excited about the leadership she has shown, and the example she has been this week."
Sunday's exhibitions games will be free to the public with gates scheduled to be open one hour prior to kickoff. Fans who are unable to make it to the match will be able to follow live stats, as well as receive updates on both matches by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter.
"I have not been this happy on a soccer field in a very long time," head coach Graham Winkowrth said of his team's progress through the first three days of training. "The leadership we have seen from our returning players has been off the charts. Things have been really positive. From watching our practices, it would be hard to tell who is new and who is not. The newcomers have settled in like a duck to water and I think that has a lot to do with our older players and how they have made our new players feel welcome here at ASU."
The Sun Devils will embark on the 2018 campaign under second year head coach Graham Winkworth, who guided the 2017 squad to a 5-11-3 overall record in what was arguably one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Sun Devils made incredible strides last season, finishing 52 spots higher in the RPI following the 2017 regular season than the end of the 2016 season.
"I have now had a year and a half with some of our upper classmen," Winkworth said of entering his second year as head coach. "Those players understand my philosophies on and off the field. They understand the culture we are trying to create. We spoke about how to bring the new players into camp and they get that. They all want to be a part of that and the leadership from those ladies has really made the transition a lot of fun, and really fast. Despite being just a few days in, we are ahead of where I was hoping we would be at this time. That has really been a good thing."
Despite being able to rely on the senior leadership in 2017, Winkworth was able to bring in a number of new faces to the roster who all contributed heavily in the Sun Devils' success. In total, 23 different players logged minutes for the Sun Devils during the 2017 season, and of those, 10 were new to the roster, including Angela Boyle, Nikki Panas, Jemma Purfield and Olive Jones who finished the season among the team leaders in minutes played. Of the 19 goals scored last season, 10 came from players who were new to the ASU roster.
"The level of talent on the field has really increased this year," Winkworth said of his new-look Sun Devil roster. "The increased intensity has really made practice a lot of fun to start the year. Last night's session was one of the best I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, and that level of play has carried over into today's training. This team is really hard working and really positive. I just hope we can maintain that momentum all year because right now we are in a good place."
The future looks bright for the Sun Devils in this season and beyond, with 16 of the historic 18-players who signed with ASU in the fall arriving on campus for the start of the 2018 season. Freshmen Eva Van Deursen and Alexia Delgado will join the team in the next few weeks, following their appearances with their national teams in the U20 World Cup in France.
"I could name a bunch of players that have stood out to me so far," Winkworth added of the increased depth in this season's roster. "Of the new players, Jen Fortner has proven that she is a hard worker. She has arrived in great shape and has shown the type of work ethic that is expected in our program. Olivia Nguyen is another one who has come in in great condition and has shown some sharpness technically. We have seen some others who we are very excited about as well. In our returners, a lot of them set their personal bests in the fitness tests. I have to give a special shout out to Kylie Miniefield who did a phenomenal job in her testing the other day. I am really excited about the leadership she has shown, and the example she has been this week."
Sunday's exhibitions games will be free to the public with gates scheduled to be open one hour prior to kickoff. Fans who are unable to make it to the match will be able to follow live stats, as well as receive updates on both matches by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter.