TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil Lacrosse team opens up the program's third season at the Division I level, as the Coach McCormack era begins with a matchup at UC Davis.
The 2020 season opener is scheduled for Saturday, February 8 at 2 pm and will take place at UC Davis Health Stadium, home of the Aggies' Football and Lacrosse programs. This is the first of four road games to start the season for Arizona State before the home opener on February 27 when the Sun Devils host Marquette at 12 pm. For a full schedule breakdown, visit the following link.
First-year assistant coaches Nicole Graziano and Dorrien Van Dyke will also be making their Sun Devil coaching debuts, after joining the staff this offseason. Graziano has been tasked with coaching the attacking unit, while Van Dyke is in charge of the midfielders.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The game between the Sun Devils and Aggies will be broadcasted live on the UC Davis Lacrosse Facebook page, which can be found at the following link. Another way to follow the game is through Stat Broadcast, who will be providing live stats here. For the latest updates and information throughout Saturday's game, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax) and like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/).
KNOW YOUR FOE: UC DAVIS
For the first time in program history, the Sun Devils will take on the UC Davis Aggies. Under the direction of Head Coach Suzanne Isidor, UC Davis went 9-8 last season, including a win over Pac-12 foe Oregon. Their season ended with a loss to San Diego State in the MPSF Tournament final.
"UC Davis is a great team," Coach McCormack mentioned. "They have got a couple of talented individuals on their attacking end."
Three different Aggies reached the 30-goal mark a season ago, with two of those individuals returning this season. Attacker Amanda Outcalt is the top returning offensive option, pacing UC Davis with 70 points (33 goals and 37 assists). Fellow attacker Sorana Larson also finished with 30 goals, the second leading scorer coming back for the Aggies.
"As an offensive unit, they are a downhill dodging team," Coach McCormack observed. "They are going to come at you constantly and consistently, so we have to be ready to defend that."
The draw control trio of Kate Graham (80), Mar Alvear (70), and Maddie Myers (69) will be a formidable challenge for the Sun Devils. Goalkeeper Taylor Mathieson will take the reins in net after splitting duty a year ago, a season in which she posted a 4-3 record and 97 saves.
"After reviewing some of their film, they are really solid on the draw," Coach McCormack added. "We will be prepared for that."
RECAPPING THE 2019 SEASON
The Sun Devil Women's Lacrosse team completed another season full of progress, with improvement on display during ASU's second year at the Division I level.
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 larger roles, there is a lot to look forward to as it relates to the future of Sun Devil Lacrosse. With another talented freshman class added to the mix, Arizona State features the deepest roster it has had since the program was established.
The dynamic duo of Kerri Clayton and Emily Glagolev return to Tempe after earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team. The pair combined for an incredible 102 points (56 goals & 46 assists), while starting 35 of a possible 36 games between the two. Glagolev recorded 33 assists as a sophomore, the most in the Pac-12 last season. She finished with three or more assists on five different occasions, highlighted by a school-record six-assist performance against San Diego State. Thanks to her 33-goal season, Clayton has now scored 77 goals in 35 games over the past two seasons, the only Sun Devil to earn All-Conference honors after both campaigns.
After being picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Poll prior to their first two seasons at the Division I level, the Sun Devils were picked a program-best fourth in the 2020 edition.
COACH'S KEYS
Coach McCormack offered up what he believes will be the keys to the game, as the Sun Devils look to continue their winning ways in season openers. Arizona State is 2-0 in season openers in program history, picking up a dominant 14-7 victory over Kennesaw State a season ago.
"We have to come up with the ground balls when they go down and execute offensively," Coach McCormack emphasized. "We need to be able to freeze the goalie and fake around her to put the ball in the net. Those are the keys for us. I want them to enjoy the process and understand this is what they have been preparing for."
The work has been put in and the preparation is complete. Now Coach McCormack and his team are eager to hit the field.
"Collectively, when you look at what we built together, we are very pleased with our preparation over the last few months. I feel that we are ready to put it all together, play as a team, and execute everything we have worked on to this point. They are ready to play.""
The 2020 season opener is scheduled for Saturday, February 8 at 2 pm and will take place at UC Davis Health Stadium, home of the Aggies' Football and Lacrosse programs. This is the first of four road games to start the season for Arizona State before the home opener on February 27 when the Sun Devils host Marquette at 12 pm. For a full schedule breakdown, visit the following link.
New Sun Devil Coach Tim McCormack prepares for his first game as Sun Devil Head Coach after serving as an Assistant Coach for Northwestern the past six seasons.?????
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) January 10, 2020
???????? YOUR CALENDARS ??
The 2?0?2?0? @SunDevilWLax schedule is official! ????
Come out to support @coachtmccormack's squad at one of their 8? home games, beginning with the home opener against Marquette on February 27th! #ForksUp
??: https://t.co/ySTpvdcRAn pic.twitter.com/epjixDEjxC
"I have a really positive outlook and I am being optimistic," Coach McCormack remarked. "We have been preparing properly and done a lot of things to get ourselves ready for this point. Now it is time to let it fly. I am very excited and ready to just enjoy the moment and let the girls play."??????
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) June 20, 2019
Coach McCormack is bringing quite the ???????????? with him to the desert! ?? #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/TcFs09YKP3
First-year assistant coaches Nicole Graziano and Dorrien Van Dyke will also be making their Sun Devil coaching debuts, after joining the staff this offseason. Graziano has been tasked with coaching the attacking unit, while Van Dyke is in charge of the midfielders.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The game between the Sun Devils and Aggies will be broadcasted live on the UC Davis Lacrosse Facebook page, which can be found at the following link. Another way to follow the game is through Stat Broadcast, who will be providing live stats here. For the latest updates and information throughout Saturday's game, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax) and like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/).
KNOW YOUR FOE: UC DAVIS
For the first time in program history, the Sun Devils will take on the UC Davis Aggies. Under the direction of Head Coach Suzanne Isidor, UC Davis went 9-8 last season, including a win over Pac-12 foe Oregon. Their season ended with a loss to San Diego State in the MPSF Tournament final.
"UC Davis is a great team," Coach McCormack mentioned. "They have got a couple of talented individuals on their attacking end."
Three different Aggies reached the 30-goal mark a season ago, with two of those individuals returning this season. Attacker Amanda Outcalt is the top returning offensive option, pacing UC Davis with 70 points (33 goals and 37 assists). Fellow attacker Sorana Larson also finished with 30 goals, the second leading scorer coming back for the Aggies.
"As an offensive unit, they are a downhill dodging team," Coach McCormack observed. "They are going to come at you constantly and consistently, so we have to be ready to defend that."
The draw control trio of Kate Graham (80), Mar Alvear (70), and Maddie Myers (69) will be a formidable challenge for the Sun Devils. Goalkeeper Taylor Mathieson will take the reins in net after splitting duty a year ago, a season in which she posted a 4-3 record and 97 saves.
"After reviewing some of their film, they are really solid on the draw," Coach McCormack added. "We will be prepared for that."
RECAPPING THE 2019 SEASON
The Sun Devil Women's Lacrosse team completed another season full of progress, with improvement on display during ASU's second year at the Division I level.
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 larger roles, there is a lot to look forward to as it relates to the future of Sun Devil Lacrosse. With another talented freshman class added to the mix, Arizona State features the deepest roster it has had since the program was established.
The dynamic duo of Kerri Clayton and Emily Glagolev return to Tempe after earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team. The pair combined for an incredible 102 points (56 goals & 46 assists), while starting 35 of a possible 36 games between the two. Glagolev recorded 33 assists as a sophomore, the most in the Pac-12 last season. She finished with three or more assists on five different occasions, highlighted by a school-record six-assist performance against San Diego State. Thanks to her 33-goal season, Clayton has now scored 77 goals in 35 games over the past two seasons, the only Sun Devil to earn All-Conference honors after both campaigns.
The Sun Devils will also have the services of goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau, who was one of the best at her position in the country. The redshirt junior finished fifth in the NCAA with 194 saves, reaching double-digit saves on 13 different occasions. She set a school-record with an incredible 20-save performance on the road against No. 23 Colorado. Bonneau is ready to thrive under the direction of new Sun Devil Head Coach and former All-American goalie Tim McCormack.DYNAMIC DUO ????
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) May 2, 2019
Congratulations to Kerri Clayton and Emily Glagolev for earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team #ForksUp
MORE INFO: https://t.co/iRLRHRFECE pic.twitter.com/roiszB4ddf
A youth movement took place last season, with the members of the talented freshman class making an instant impact. The ten freshman that combined to produce 64 points (39 goals & 25 assists), 107 ground balls, 48 caused turnovers, and 66 draw controls now enter their sophomore year. The group started a total of 60 games last season, gaining valuable experience against strong competition.Now that the #NCAALax season has concluded, ????Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau officially finished 5?th in the nation with 1?9?4? saves! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/5M7wJPR4MP
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) May 28, 2019
A second consecutive strong recruiting class looks to make a similar impact, as the Sun Devils welcome an eight-member freshman class. Four midfielders, two attackers, a goalkeeper, and a defender have made a quick transition to the collegiate level and are already competing for playing time. Arizona State also welcomes a pair of transfers, adding more depth to the roster and incresing the competition for playing time.INSTANT IMPACT ??
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) May 3, 2019
The freshman class wasted no time during their first season in Tempe, immediately producing on the field! #ForksUp
?????? pic.twitter.com/qGCwW5o57z
After being picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Poll prior to their first two seasons at the Division I level, the Sun Devils were picked a program-best fourth in the 2020 edition.
COACH'S KEYS
Coach McCormack offered up what he believes will be the keys to the game, as the Sun Devils look to continue their winning ways in season openers. Arizona State is 2-0 in season openers in program history, picking up a dominant 14-7 victory over Kennesaw State a season ago.
"We have to come up with the ground balls when they go down and execute offensively," Coach McCormack emphasized. "We need to be able to freeze the goalie and fake around her to put the ball in the net. Those are the keys for us. I want them to enjoy the process and understand this is what they have been preparing for."
The work has been put in and the preparation is complete. Now Coach McCormack and his team are eager to hit the field.
"Collectively, when you look at what we built together, we are very pleased with our preparation over the last few months. I feel that we are ready to put it all together, play as a team, and execute everything we have worked on to this point. They are ready to play.""