Action in week-three will get underway Friday afternoon when the team travels to Tucson to take on UC Irvine in a neutral site contest at 4:00 p.m. PT, before returning home to host Oklahoma on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
The Sun Devils will be looking to build momentum on their already impressive 4-0 start to the season. In their first two weeks of play, the Sun Devils have outscored their opponents, 19-3, and enter the weekend with the nation's fourth-best scoring offense.
"I think that the culture in this group has been fantastic," head coach Graham Winkworth said of the team's hot start to the season. "Last Friday, I was proud of our team because of the performance of the players who started, the players who entered the game off the bench, and the players who did not feature. The comradery with this team is off the charts good. I could not be more proud of the culture the young ladies on this team have managed to create. It is all credit to them."
Despite their offensive explosion, the Sun Devils found themselves in a hard fought contest to close out the second week of play, topping Weber State, 1-0, with a golden goal from Olive Jones in the 92nd minute of play in Sunday's win. Jones, a talented junior from Phoenix, Ariz., netted her first career game winner, and fourth goal as a Sun Devil. Entering ASU as a forward, Jones worked tirelessly last season to become an incredible defender, showing all the characteristics of not just a great teammate, but also a great leader.
"I was delighted for Olive to score the game winner," Winkworth said of the junior's heroics in Sunday's win. "She is a player who has embraced the challenge of having more competition at her role. She is extremely positive around her teammates and is encouraging to them. That type of mentality helps when the opportunities present themselves. When she entered the game on Sunday she was mentally ready and did a great job. She scored a phenomenal goal and I was really really proud of her."
The ability for the Sun Devils to score goals from anyone and any place on the pitch has been an impressive perk for the deep ASU attack this season. So far, ten different players have scored a goal for Arizona State this season, including an impressive eight different players in last weekend's games. This showcases how quickly the roster has embraced not only their own opportunities, but also the challenge of creating chances for their teammates.
"It really shows the quality of leadership and the culture of the squad," Winkworth added on the depth of his team. "Olive is a very important part of our group, and has featured in every game. Sometimes players end up playing more minutes entering as a reserve than some of our starters. It is not about who gets the start, it is more about who contributes, and how they contribute. Olive has done a great job contributing off the bench, and has scored two goals for us already this year. She has been very effective in that role and I am just really proud of her, as well as all of the other ladies who are playing in a very similar circumstance."
Entering this weekend's games, ASU is just one of 38 teams to not have recorded a loss or a tie in 2019. To keep their record unblemished, the Sun Devils will have to top a pair of quality opponents this weekend, starting with the UC Irvine Anteaters (1-3-0).
"Irvine is a lot better than their results would suggest," said Winkworth about his Friday opponent. "They played a very close match against No. 9 Vanderbilt. They are very good. They are a very athletic team and we are going to have to be at our best to give them a good game. If we play as well as we have been training, we know we will have a chance in every game. Although we are obviously preparing for Irvine, we also have to continue to think about our own performances as much as anything else. Right now our girls are holding themselves to a very high standard and I am really pleased about that."
The Anteaters opened the season falling to three power-five programs, including a pair of loses to No. 9 ranked clubs in Virginia and Vanderbilt. UCI supplied valiant efforts in all three of their first games, including dropping a pair of matches decided by a single goal. In their last outing, the Anteaters claimed their first victory of the season, and the team's first goals in 2019, as UCI carded a shutout win over Northern Colorado, 2-0. The two goals represented the first career goals for sophomore Scarlett Camberos and newcomer Julia Gonzalez, who will undoubtedly be hungry to build off of their success in Sunday's win.
Following Friday's contest in Tucson, Arizona State will return to the friendly confines of Sun Devil Soccer Stadium to host Oklahoma (3-0-1). The match against the Sooners will mark just the fourth meeting between the two teams, and will be the first meeting since the 2015 season.
Oklahoma started the 2019 season with three-straight wins, including a pair of shutout victories over Arkansas (1-0) and Albany (1-0) in the first week of the season. Last weekend the Sooners topped in-state rival Tulsa, 3-2, after settling for a draw against their rival Oklahoma State, 2-2, leaving the Sooners on a three-game streak of overtime appearances. The Big 12 competitors have been getting the job done on both ends of the pitch, outshooting their opponents 57-32, while only allowing four goals in as many games.
"We are very excited for Sunday's match," said Winkworth on the matchup with the Sooners. "We know the 942 Crew will be there as well and it is going to be exciting. It will be a Pac-12 television match, and the first time this year we will be on TV at home, so it is a great opportunity to have such a talented, well coached squad, in town. It will be a great opportunity for us to have an early marquee match against a very talented team and we are excited about it."
Helping the Sun Devils keep their home atmosphere lively will be the presence of the 942 Crew, who have designated Sunday's contest as the organization's 'Game of the Week'. As an incentive, the group will be handing out 'sherseys' that very closely resemble ASU's home white kits.
?? 942 Crew Game of the Week presented by @dutchbrosaz ??
— 942 Crew (@942Crew) September 4, 2019
Come out and support @SunDevilSoccer in a HUGE game vs. Oklahoma and grab a shersey!
9/8 at 5 p.m. ??
Sun Devil Soccer Stadium ??
Wear WHITE and be loud ?? pic.twitter.com/60HNkzf7KG
Fans can still buy tickets for Sunday's home game, as well as season tickets, by visiting Ticketmaster.com. Fans can also follow all of the action from the 2019 Sun Devil Soccer season by following @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.