EUGENE, Ore. – The fifth-seeded Sun Devil Lacrosse team ended their season with a hard-fought, 12-8, loss to fourth-seeded California in the first round of Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday evening at Pape Field.
Arizona State competed hard for 60 minutes, engaging in an evenly-matched battle with the Golden Bears. In what would ultimately become their final game of the season, the Sun Devils left it all on the field by putting together a spirited effort.
"It is a little hard now to reflect on what we have accomplished after seeing our season just end," Coach Martinez Connor remarked. "Eventually, I think we will all realize that we are continuing to build in the right direction and are closer to reaching our goals as a program."
No surprise that Emily Glagolev raised her level of play in the biggest game of the year. The sophomore attacker added to the spectacular season she is enjoying, totaling four points (one goal & three assists) as the leader of the offense. Fellow sophomore attacker Taylor Carson got the start and the decision by the coaching staff paid off, as she was all over the field. Carson finished with four points, including a career-best two assists. Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau did her best to keep the Sun Devils in it, making nine saves and picking up nine ground balls as part of a productive season finale.
Kaylon Buckner would ensure Arizona State got off to a good start early in the contest. She picked up right where she left off last game when she finished with a career-high four goals, finding the back of the net with 27:08 left in the first half. The assist went to Emily Glagolev, who finished the season with at least one assist in 11 consecutive games.
California would finally break the seal, scoring a goal with 23:42 remaining that evened the game up at one. The game would not remain tied long, as Emily Glagolev registered her 23rd goal of the season with 20:17 left in the first half. Back-to-back goals by the Golden Bears would give them their first lead of the game, albeit short-lived. It was brief because of the work of Taylor Carson, who knotted the game up at three on a goal from assist-machine Emily Glagolev, who threaded the needle beautifully on the play. After yet another brilliant performance, Glagolev ended the year with multiple points in her final eight games.
Three straight California goals to end the half created slight separation, as Arizona State entered halftime trailing 6-3.
Coach Martinez Connor's halftime speech did exactly what it intended to do, inspire an immediate rally with the season on the line over the next 30 minutes. What a first minute of the second half it was for the Sun Devils, as they shifted the momentum in their favor with a pair of goals.
"That spark in the first minute of the second half was exactly what we need at the time," Coach Martinez Connor stated. "We just didn't play like that over long enough stretches of the game."
The first came off the stick of Taylor Carson, who finished on a feed from a charging Lia Willis, who had just earned the possesion off the draw. For Willis, it was her second assist of the season, while Carson's second goal of the night gives her seven goals over the last three games. Carson built off a 13-goal freshman campaign a year ago, finishing third on the team with 18 goals this season. The goal came just ten seconds into the second half, the quickest a Sun Devil has ever scored to start a half.
A second goal in a 26-second span came courtesy of Kate Dougherty, who made a cut and found an opening she could take advantage of. Emily Glagolev would record her third helper on the play, with her season total resting at 33, keeping her at the top of the Pac-12 Conference in assists this season.
The two sides would exchange goals as the pace slowed down rapidly after sustained offensive pressure by the Maroon & Gold to open the second half. Kaylon Buckner would provide a crucial answer to a California goal, scoring for the second time on the evening. The freshman was outstanding to end her first season in Tempe, recording 11 points over her last three games. She caps a tremendous initial campaign with 26 points (16 goals and 10 assists), one of just three Sun Devils to finish in double figures in both categories.
Another pair of goals from the Golden Bears extended the lead back out to three at the 9:13 mark of the second half, but the Sun Devils would have one last run that would make things interesting. Each starting their 18th game of the season, sophomore midfielders Maria Villanti and Kylie Kroeger contributions were invaluable. They were once again involved in another comeback effort, hoth scoring a goal to trim the California lead back to one.
First up, it was Villanti's turn, as she made her way through contact and towards the net for her 12th goal of the season. Villanti found the scoring touch midway through the season, tallying at least one goal in eight of her final ten games. With another assist on the play, Taylor Carson picked a big spot to have her first multi-assist performance of her career, giving her team another facilitating option. Then it was Kroeger's turn, as her 16th goal of the season was a big one, cutting the lead to 9-8 with 7:06 left in the game. Kerri Clayton was credited with the assist on the play, giving her at least one point in 31 of her 35 career games in a Sun Devil uniform. Clayton finished another impressive offensive campaign with 46 points, including a team-leading 33 goals.
Allowing Arizona State to creep back into the game was the steady play of Bonneau, who made crucial saves, including stuffing two free-position attempts with the game hanging in the balance. Unfortunately, the star power of the Golden Bears would eventually be too much to overcome. The senior duo of Swanson and Corzel combined to score the final three goals of the game, putting the finishing touches on a 12-8 California victory.
Arizona State competed hard for 60 minutes, engaging in an evenly-matched battle with the Golden Bears. In what would ultimately become their final game of the season, the Sun Devils left it all on the field by putting together a spirited effort.
"It is a little hard now to reflect on what we have accomplished after seeing our season just end," Coach Martinez Connor remarked. "Eventually, I think we will all realize that we are continuing to build in the right direction and are closer to reaching our goals as a program."
No surprise that Emily Glagolev raised her level of play in the biggest game of the year. The sophomore attacker added to the spectacular season she is enjoying, totaling four points (one goal & three assists) as the leader of the offense. Fellow sophomore attacker Taylor Carson got the start and the decision by the coaching staff paid off, as she was all over the field. Carson finished with four points, including a career-best two assists. Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau did her best to keep the Sun Devils in it, making nine saves and picking up nine ground balls as part of a productive season finale.
Kaylon Buckner would ensure Arizona State got off to a good start early in the contest. She picked up right where she left off last game when she finished with a career-high four goals, finding the back of the net with 27:08 left in the first half. The assist went to Emily Glagolev, who finished the season with at least one assist in 11 consecutive games.
California would finally break the seal, scoring a goal with 23:42 remaining that evened the game up at one. The game would not remain tied long, as Emily Glagolev registered her 23rd goal of the season with 20:17 left in the first half. Back-to-back goals by the Golden Bears would give them their first lead of the game, albeit short-lived. It was brief because of the work of Taylor Carson, who knotted the game up at three on a goal from assist-machine Emily Glagolev, who threaded the needle beautifully on the play. After yet another brilliant performance, Glagolev ended the year with multiple points in her final eight games.
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— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 26, 2019
Look up threading the needle in the dictionary...
You will find this clip of @emily_glagolev's assist! @taylorrcarson ties the game up with a big-time goal!
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12:29 - First Half
Watch on @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/prsNfHvP9t
Three straight California goals to end the half created slight separation, as Arizona State entered halftime trailing 6-3.
Coach Martinez Connor's halftime speech did exactly what it intended to do, inspire an immediate rally with the season on the line over the next 30 minutes. What a first minute of the second half it was for the Sun Devils, as they shifted the momentum in their favor with a pair of goals.
"That spark in the first minute of the second half was exactly what we need at the time," Coach Martinez Connor stated. "We just didn't play like that over long enough stretches of the game."
The first came off the stick of Taylor Carson, who finished on a feed from a charging Lia Willis, who had just earned the possesion off the draw. For Willis, it was her second assist of the season, while Carson's second goal of the night gives her seven goals over the last three games. Carson built off a 13-goal freshman campaign a year ago, finishing third on the team with 18 goals this season. The goal came just ten seconds into the second half, the quickest a Sun Devil has ever scored to start a half.
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— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 26, 2019
Now that is how you start a half! Sun Devils win the draw and immediately find the back of the net! @taylorrcarson's second goal of the game is assisted by @Liaaabiaaa
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29:50 - Second Half
Watch on @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/pEZqSa5XU0
A second goal in a 26-second span came courtesy of Kate Dougherty, who made a cut and found an opening she could take advantage of. Emily Glagolev would record her third helper on the play, with her season total resting at 33, keeping her at the top of the Pac-12 Conference in assists this season.
The two sides would exchange goals as the pace slowed down rapidly after sustained offensive pressure by the Maroon & Gold to open the second half. Kaylon Buckner would provide a crucial answer to a California goal, scoring for the second time on the evening. The freshman was outstanding to end her first season in Tempe, recording 11 points over her last three games. She caps a tremendous initial campaign with 26 points (16 goals and 10 assists), one of just three Sun Devils to finish in double figures in both categories.
Another pair of goals from the Golden Bears extended the lead back out to three at the 9:13 mark of the second half, but the Sun Devils would have one last run that would make things interesting. Each starting their 18th game of the season, sophomore midfielders Maria Villanti and Kylie Kroeger contributions were invaluable. They were once again involved in another comeback effort, hoth scoring a goal to trim the California lead back to one.
First up, it was Villanti's turn, as she made her way through contact and towards the net for her 12th goal of the season. Villanti found the scoring touch midway through the season, tallying at least one goal in eight of her final ten games. With another assist on the play, Taylor Carson picked a big spot to have her first multi-assist performance of her career, giving her team another facilitating option. Then it was Kroeger's turn, as her 16th goal of the season was a big one, cutting the lead to 9-8 with 7:06 left in the game. Kerri Clayton was credited with the assist on the play, giving her at least one point in 31 of her 35 career games in a Sun Devil uniform. Clayton finished another impressive offensive campaign with 46 points, including a team-leading 33 goals.
Allowing Arizona State to creep back into the game was the steady play of Bonneau, who made crucial saves, including stuffing two free-position attempts with the game hanging in the balance. Unfortunately, the star power of the Golden Bears would eventually be too much to overcome. The senior duo of Swanson and Corzel combined to score the final three goals of the game, putting the finishing touches on a 12-8 California victory.
For the second consecutive season, the new program reached the six-win mark and continues to build momentum. With several young players gaining valuable experience and upperclassmen stepping into leadership roles, there is a lot to look forward to as it relates to the future of Sun Devil Lacrosse. Coach Martinez Connor adds another talented recruiting class to the mix, offering her more depth then she has had since arriving in Tempe. Follow the program all offseason long by keeping up with our Instagram/Twitter (@SunDevilWLax) as well as liking our Facebook. Visit TheSunDevils.com for additional information on Sun Devil Lacrosse. Stay tuned for a comprehensive recap of the 2019 season.?? ???????? ??
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) April 26, 2019
Shut it down! @berkeleybonneau is there to make the stop on a point-blank shot to keep it a one-goal game!
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15:56 - Second Half
Watch on @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/2VN3reVww7