Arizona State (4-5, 3-2) hosted the national power Gators in one of the featured games of the weekend. Head Coach Tim McCormack has not been afraid to schedule tough, with the Sun Devils in the midst of a four-game stretch against Top-20 opponents. In the second game of that run, ASU fell to No. 11 Florida 21-10. Despite holding an advantage in the draw controls, the home side was never able to establish much momentum, leading to a rare double-digit loss.
At halftime of the game, the program honored an impactful group of Sun Devil Lacrosse alumni that made the trip for the organized alumni game. Berkeley Bonneau, Kerri Clayton, Kristina Coppinger, Kate Dougherty, Taylor Carson, Rachel Gregory, Graci Fulkerson, Hanna Schuler, Campbell Poe, Graci Fulkerson, Haley Gorke, and Caryn Takeuchi all returned to Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium to watch their alma mater. They were part of a crowd that represented a new season-high in attendance, as Tempe provided a premiere atmosphere to match the quality of play of the field.
The Maroon and Gold once again played short-handed on both ends, but refused to let that impact their mindset and intensity. Offensively, Carley Adams enjoyed a lucarative day, working hard to score four goals against a tough Florida defense.
The Sun Devils will head to the east coast for a pair of games, starting with No. 5 Stony Brook on Friday, Apr. 1 at 3 PM MST. It is Assistant Coach Dorrien Van Dyke's turn to take on her alma mater, this time actually traveling back to where she was an All-American midfielder. The second game of the trip takes place on Sunday, Apr. 3 at 9 AM MST when they face off with No. 13 Rutgers.
TURNING POINT
The first draw of the game was controlled by the Sun Devils, but Florida quickly gained possession off a turnover. They proceed to score on their first offensive opportunity, the beginning of a 4-0 run. The Gators set a tone early, playing suffocating defense while also executing their offense at a high level. In-game adjustments from Coach McCormack's staff allowed ASU to stay in the game, until the Gators triggered a running clock with a 10 goal lead at the end of the second quarter. The double-digit lead and lack of stoppage sped up the pace, with several Sun Devils coming off the bench and showing they could play at that speed. Coach McCormack and his staff got a great look at multiple reserves that saw significant minutes late in the game, as the Gators claimed the 21-10 victory.
FIRST QUARTER
A quick 4-0 start only ten minutes of the game allowed Florida to thwart momentum that had been built by a raucous crowd. Taylor Pinzone was able to get the Sun Devils on the board, taking a feed from Mina Scott to stop the run. Carley Adams would provide an answer to two late Florida goals, scoring one of her own with under a minute left in the period. The Gators would make it 7-2 with a buzzer beater right before the break.
SECOND QUARTER
It was much of the same in the second quarter, as once again Florida outscored Arizona State 7-2. The visitors opened up with the first three goals of the second, answered by an Emily Munro goal set up by Emily Glagolev. Lia Willis would cut the lead back down to seven, but three straight Gator goals pushed the lead to double digits, which triggered a running clock before halftime. ASU would go into the break trailing 14-4.
THIRD QUARTER
In search for answers, Coach McCormack found one in Carley Adams. The graduate attacker did it all offensively, scoring the only two Sun Devil goals of the period. However, Florida would score four goals to extend their lead to 18-6 after three.
FOURTH QUARTER
Positive signs for the Sun Devils came out of the fourth quarter, with the team refusing to let up at any moment. This resulted in ASU outscoring Florida in the fourth quarter, behind the strength of their star attackers and the support of a set of young defenders. Carley Adams got the Sun Devils on the board first in the fourth, finishing off a pass from Emily Glagolev. ASU would go on to score the final three goals of the game, two coming courtesy of Kaylon Buckner. Flynn Murphy and the hungry Sun Devil defense prevented Florida from scoring over the final 9:41.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Tim McCormack
On his team's advantage in the draw control
"We continue to execute well in that area. Several players contribute to that success. It is a team effort and something we've been focusing on in practice."
On the play of the young defenders
"It was beneficial to see some of them get to compete against a team like that. They gained confidence and knowledge from that experience."
On welcoming the alumni back
"Could not be more proud of all of our alumni. They helped us get to where we are today. We are forever grafteful for that group and will continue to keep them involved with the Sun Devil Family."
Former Sun Devil Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau
On watching the game from the stands
"It is a different feeling, but it allows you to have a tremendous amount of respect for what they are doing. They put in some much work into getting ready to perform the way they do."
On her initial impressions of current Goalkeeper Katie Vahle
"Being a goalie is a weird position. You are getting balls thrown at you 60 miles per hour. I love watching her because her playing style is similar to what mine was. She is doing kick saves, dropping to the ground and stopping it with her knee, before eventually clearing the ball with some insane pass. She came in as a freshman to an established program, where as when I came in as a freshman, there was nobody. Other goalies have been here for a couple years and she came in and beat them out. To be doing what she is doing in a power five conference. I had to give her a fist bump after the game."
On the culture of the Sun Devil Lacrosse program
"Tim always says that it is a family. People can talk the talk, but they walk the walk. We have a group chat with the alumni to organize events like this. Tim will shoot a text to check in with us. It reinforces that the people I spent five years in college with are truly my family. When we get back together, we immediately start making jokes as if we live together."
On the emergence of Carley Adams
"Carley and I were roommates all five years and we still talk every day. She is one of my closest friend and I truly love watching her. When we would mess around at practice it was so fun because she's an attacker and I'm a goalie, so we always had that friendly competition. I was excited I got to watch her. She just has a different work ethic that can't be taught."
The Sun Devils will head to the east coast for a pair of games, starting with No. 5 Stony Brook on Friday, Apr. 1 at 3 PM MST. It is Assistant Coach Dorrien Van Dyke's turn to take on her alma mater, this time actually traveling back to where she was an All-American midfielder. The second game of the trip takes place on Sunday, Apr. 3 at 9 AM MST when they face off with No. 13 Rutgers. The two teams have a combined 15-3 record and represent one of the toughest road trips any team has taken this season. More details on how to follow the two games will be available this week.
HOW TO FOLLOW
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