TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil Lacrosse team pulled out a dramatic, 15-14, overtime victory against the Oregon Ducks on Friday afternoon at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium.
Kerri Clayton put together the greatest single-game performance by a Sun Devil, breaking several school records in the process. The Arizona State program under the direction of Coach Courtney Martinez Connor continues to show progress, earning their second win over a Pac-12 Conference opponent this season, doubling the total from their inaugural season. With the upperclassmen thriving in leadership roles and young players continuing to show promise, the future of the program is bright. Kylie Kroeger scored one of the most memorable goals in the young history of Sun Devil Lacrosse, burying the game-winner in the first overtime period.
"Our upperclassmen, specifically Kerri Clayton, stepped up," Coach Martinez Connor remarked after the game. "I was proud of our team's patience and ultimately their effort showed through with that overtime win at home."
Records are meant to be broken, even if they are your own. That is exactly what transpired for Kerri Clayton, as the redshirt junior attacker was on another level this afternoon. She finished with 12 points, scoring eight goals while dishing out four assists during her historic performance. Clayton's 12-point performance was by far the most points by a Pac-12 player this season, and matched Colorado's Darby Kiernan (vs Jacksonville – 5/11/18) for the Pac-12 Conference Record for points in a game. She soared past the previous record of eight during the 2019 season, held by two players, including her teammate Emily Glagolev. Glagolev followed up an eight-point performance in Eugene with a four-point performance to help the Sun Devils sweep the Ducks. She has been outstanding offensively as of late, recording 24 points over her last seven games. Not only did Kerri Clayton set conference records, her eight-goal and 12-point effort put her name at the top of the Sun Devil record books in the respective categories.
With the Sun Devils trailing, Taylor Carson's scoring prowess would be on display over the next 30 seconds to cut into the deficit. She reached the double-digit goal mark in style, beating the Ducks goaltender twice in the short span to reduce the lead to 5-4. The Sun Devils were not done scoring during this spurt, as Kaylon Buckner scored their third goal in just a minute's time to even the score at five. Kerri Clayton would give the Sun Devils their first lead since it was 1-0, with Kylie Kroeger notching her first assist of the season. After an Oregon goal knotted things back up, Clayton delivered once more, beating the clock at the end of the half on a goal with 19 seconds to spare. Arizona State took a 7-6 lead into the break.
Picking up right where she left off in the first half, Kerri Clayton wasted no time getting on the board in the second half. Her goal just 52 seconds into the period extended the ASU lead to 8-6. A back-and-forth battle would ensue, with both teams refusing to relent regardless of the circumstance. Clayton recorded her fifth goal in the game in the middle of a personal three-goal run by the Ducks' Jamie Level, who managed to even the score at nine with three goals over a five-minute span.
Emily Glagolev would find space and make herself available to Paige McGlothlin, who delivered a beautiful feed that led to another Sun Devil goal. The resilency of the Maroon and Gold would be tested, as the Ducks would re-take the lead and shift momentum with back-to-back goals, the second coming almost exactly midway through the second half. This didn't faze Kerri Clayton, who was on a mission tonight, competing in all aspects of the game on every possession. She pulled the contest even once again with her sixth goal of the night. Olivia Hood would make sure the Devils didn't trail for long after another Ducks goal. The freshman scored her first collegiate goal, converting on a pass from Kerri Clayton with 11:45 left in the contest.
"I thought our players fought back well in the second half," Coach Martinez Connor mentioned. "We wanted them to create more offensive opportunities and win the ground ball battle, and we came out on top in both of those categories."
Drama and suspense filled the first three-minute segment of the first overtime period, but neither team could find the back of the net for the sudden-death victory. Several key saves by goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau, who was brilliant when the Sun Devils needed her, kept the Ducks from earning the victory. In a duel between to of the nationo's top goalies, Bonneau finished with one more save then her counterpart, recording her eighth double-digit save effort of the season. As the second overtime began, ASU was clearly motivated by their home crowd, as they came out ready to apply pressure on the Oregon defense. Kylie Kroeger found herself in position at the front of the net and she did not miss, as Kerri Clayton found the sophomore for the game-winning goal with a 1:33 remaining in the first overtime. With the win, the Sun Devils sweep a Pac-12 opponent for the first time in program history.
Kerri Clayton put together the greatest single-game performance by a Sun Devil, breaking several school records in the process. The Arizona State program under the direction of Coach Courtney Martinez Connor continues to show progress, earning their second win over a Pac-12 Conference opponent this season, doubling the total from their inaugural season. With the upperclassmen thriving in leadership roles and young players continuing to show promise, the future of the program is bright. Kylie Kroeger scored one of the most memorable goals in the young history of Sun Devil Lacrosse, burying the game-winner in the first overtime period.
"Our upperclassmen, specifically Kerri Clayton, stepped up," Coach Martinez Connor remarked after the game. "I was proud of our team's patience and ultimately their effort showed through with that overtime win at home."
Records are meant to be broken, even if they are your own. That is exactly what transpired for Kerri Clayton, as the redshirt junior attacker was on another level this afternoon. She finished with 12 points, scoring eight goals while dishing out four assists during her historic performance. Clayton's 12-point performance was by far the most points by a Pac-12 player this season, and matched Colorado's Darby Kiernan (vs Jacksonville – 5/11/18) for the Pac-12 Conference Record for points in a game. She soared past the previous record of eight during the 2019 season, held by two players, including her teammate Emily Glagolev. Glagolev followed up an eight-point performance in Eugene with a four-point performance to help the Sun Devils sweep the Ducks. She has been outstanding offensively as of late, recording 24 points over her last seven games. Not only did Kerri Clayton set conference records, her eight-goal and 12-point effort put her name at the top of the Sun Devil record books in the respective categories.
It is hard to believe after all was said and done, but this game started out tied at zero. That did not last long however, as Emily Glagolev took a pass from Kerri Clayton and delivered a goal just 36 seconds into the game. Glagolev and Clayton were on the same page and clicking all night, as this was the first of many points for the tandem. The Sun Devils found themselves in an early hole after taking a brief lead, with the Ducks responding with three consecutive goals to go up 3-1 with 24:12 left in the first half. Kerri Clayton would stop the Ducks run with her first goal of the night, and 20th of the season. Oregon would bounce back as the pace slowed down, scoring a pair of goals to extend their lead to three at the 11:32 mark in the first half.12. POINT. DAY.
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 6, 2019
Take a bow, @kerriclayton, who assisted on the game-winner! pic.twitter.com/RxEuaXOuTW
With the Sun Devils trailing, Taylor Carson's scoring prowess would be on display over the next 30 seconds to cut into the deficit. She reached the double-digit goal mark in style, beating the Ducks goaltender twice in the short span to reduce the lead to 5-4. The Sun Devils were not done scoring during this spurt, as Kaylon Buckner scored their third goal in just a minute's time to even the score at five. Kerri Clayton would give the Sun Devils their first lead since it was 1-0, with Kylie Kroeger notching her first assist of the season. After an Oregon goal knotted things back up, Clayton delivered once more, beating the clock at the end of the half on a goal with 19 seconds to spare. Arizona State took a 7-6 lead into the break.
Picking up right where she left off in the first half, Kerri Clayton wasted no time getting on the board in the second half. Her goal just 52 seconds into the period extended the ASU lead to 8-6. A back-and-forth battle would ensue, with both teams refusing to relent regardless of the circumstance. Clayton recorded her fifth goal in the game in the middle of a personal three-goal run by the Ducks' Jamie Level, who managed to even the score at nine with three goals over a five-minute span.
Emily Glagolev would find space and make herself available to Paige McGlothlin, who delivered a beautiful feed that led to another Sun Devil goal. The resilency of the Maroon and Gold would be tested, as the Ducks would re-take the lead and shift momentum with back-to-back goals, the second coming almost exactly midway through the second half. This didn't faze Kerri Clayton, who was on a mission tonight, competing in all aspects of the game on every possession. She pulled the contest even once again with her sixth goal of the night. Olivia Hood would make sure the Devils didn't trail for long after another Ducks goal. The freshman scored her first collegiate goal, converting on a pass from Kerri Clayton with 11:45 left in the contest.
The Sun Devils chances looked bleak, as Oregon reclaimed the momentum with two consecutive goals. Trailing 14-12 with under four minutes remaining, Arizona State mounted a rally that exemplified their never give-up attitude and tough-minded culture. Kerri Clayton refused to let her team lose, taking the game over when it mattered most. The attacker scored two goals in a row, the second of which tied the game at 14 with 2:31 left. Several scoring opportunities by the Sun Devils were unsuccessful, as ASU needed overtime to decide things for the second consecutive home game.??GOAL! ??
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 5, 2019
FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL FOR @_oliviahood_! And it's a BIG one to tie this game back up! #ForksUp
??12 | ??12
11:45 - 2nd Half pic.twitter.com/ViNSvzl0dZ
"I thought our players fought back well in the second half," Coach Martinez Connor mentioned. "We wanted them to create more offensive opportunities and win the ground ball battle, and we came out on top in both of those categories."
Drama and suspense filled the first three-minute segment of the first overtime period, but neither team could find the back of the net for the sudden-death victory. Several key saves by goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau, who was brilliant when the Sun Devils needed her, kept the Ducks from earning the victory. In a duel between to of the nationo's top goalies, Bonneau finished with one more save then her counterpart, recording her eighth double-digit save effort of the season. As the second overtime began, ASU was clearly motivated by their home crowd, as they came out ready to apply pressure on the Oregon defense. Kylie Kroeger found herself in position at the front of the net and she did not miss, as Kerri Clayton found the sophomore for the game-winning goal with a 1:33 remaining in the first overtime. With the win, the Sun Devils sweep a Pac-12 opponent for the first time in program history.
"They remained calm and were poised on the field, whether it was on the offensive or defensive end," Coach Martinez Connor added. "Especially in overtime, because it can be really hard to do when your emotions are high."
Sun Devil fans, come support the team in their second-to-last home game of the season. They take on the No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday, April 7 at 1:00 p.m. If you can't make it out to Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium, the Pac-12 Network (Mountain Channel) will be broadcasting the game live. For more information on how to find the broadcast, visit this link. As is true for all home games, admission to Sunday's game is free. Live stats for media and the public can be found here. If you can't make it out or miss the game on Pac-12 Network, you can still keep up to date with the latest information and updates along all season by following our Instagram/Twitter (@SunDevilWLax) as well as liking our Facebook. Visit TheSunDevils.com for additional information on Sun Devil Lacrosse.??SUN DEVILS WIN! ??@kyliekroeger BURIES THE GAME-WINNER in DOUBLE OVERTIME! @TheSunDevils WIN! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/eS88xtETr3
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 6, 2019