Palo Alto, Calif. -- A pair of first-half goals proved to be too much to overcome as the Arizona State soccer team fell on the road at No. 2 Stanford, 3-0, Thursday night at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
The Cardinal got off to a quick start, scoring the first goal of the match in just the 10th minute of play.
The Sun Devil defense would hunker down to hold the Cardinal attack at bay, before the second-ranked Stanford team broke through again in the 39th minute, to take a 2-0 advantage into the halftime break.
Starting the second half, Stanford would add an early strike to push the score to 3-0, when Catarina Macario blasted a shot that curled inside the left post for her 21st goal of the season, and 11th goal in Pac-12 play.
From then on, the Sun Devil defense would again weather the storm, strafing off a Cardinal attack that created 18 second-half shots, to close out the game with the score reading 3-0.
In goal, freshman Giulia Cascapera made six saves, pushing her season total to 68, a mark that ranks third in the Pac-12.
The Sun Devils will be back in action on Sunday when the team takes on the California Golden Bears in Berkley. Kickoff in Sunday's match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. MST, and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Bay Area. Fans can follow all of the action from the remainder of the 2019 regular-season by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
A Word With Winkworth...
On the team's response to playing the No. 2 team in the nation;
"We had an incredible week of training leading into today's game, and I thought we performed incredibly. Firstly, I want to congratulate Stanford on becoming Pac-12 Champions tonight, they deserved it. They are first-class. They are extremely gifted players, extremely well-coached and led by a player in Macario who I think has the potential to be a future Ballon d'Or winner. They are that good. It is an honor to take the field with such a group of players and I think our ladies responded magnificently. We defended for 90 quality minutes, we were well organized, we communicated better than I have seen all season. We stuck to our roles and did an incredible job. I couldn't be more proud of the efforts that our ladies put in. This is a very difficult place to come. We came here a few years ago and crumbled, but tonight we didn't do that. It just shows that with the difficult results we have had, they haven't quit. We have kept fighting, and I just want to praise the whole squad for the work that they are putting in because they continue to show they are not a group of quitters. They are going to continue to fight and lay the foundation for a very bright future."
On freshman Giulia Cascapera's defensive effort against Stanford;
"I think G has done well. She has really grown into the role as the season has gone along. She is getting better as the season goes on and I am excited for her. Once we get a spring season in, she has the potential to have a very bright future. We have got to make sure that we defend in the future the same way we did tonight because if we defend as well as we did tonight against most other opponents we will be very difficult to score on. We did concede three goals today, but we were playing against an incredible opponent. If we defend with as much discipline and heart as we did tonight, not many teams are going to be scoring against us. Obviously, we need to make sure we have a little bit more going forward offensively, but tonight we planned to park the bus and I thought the team did a fantastic job in what was a more pragmatic style."
On the effort of Jessica Hale in Thursday's game;
"Without question, I thought she was one of our best players tonight. That was probably the best performance Jess has put in as an ASU player. I was so proud of her. Her one-on-one defending against some of the best wide-forwards in the country was incredible. She cut off some great passes and her defending was excellent. She may not be the biggest of players, but she is very good at using her strength and her body to challenge and be strong in her tackle. I thought she was fantastic tonight."
On Catarina Macario's 21 goal season through Thursday's game;
"She is a special talent. She is a once in a decade type player, she is that good. I have no doubt that when she becomes eligible, she will become an absolute superstar for the full US Women's National Team. I honestly think she will go on and potentially win the Ballon d'Or, an award given to the best female soccer player in the world. I think she has got that much potential. She is doing an incredible job with Stanford and scoring a lot of goals from the midfield this year. To have such a goal-threat from that deep of a position as well as the attacking threats that they have in their front line, it is a formidable team. Coach Ratcliffe has done an amazing job there, and I just want to congratulate them on another Pac-12 Championship, because they are a first-class team, both on and off the pitch."
Up Next...
Arizona State will conclude their weekend road trip on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. MST match at Cal. Sunday's match is set to be broadcast on the Pac-12 Bay Area, with Danielle Slaton and Troy Clardy on the call. Following Sunday's match, ASU will return to the State of Arizona to close out the 2019 regular-season on the road at Arizona.