LAWRENCE, Kan. – After spending the last eight consecutive matches inside the state of Arizona, Sun Devil Soccer fell on the road – the first road conference match of the season for Arizona State – at Kansas, 2-0, on Thursday night.
Arizona State was able to keep the Jayhawks (7-2-1, 1-0-1) scoreless for the first 32 minutes of the match, until Jocelyn Herrema flicked in a corner kick from Livvy Moore into the near post to snap the 0-0 score. Kansas doubled its lead less than nine minutes into the second half on a Caroline Castans goal, which was also assisted by Moore.
It wasn’t until 10 minutes remained in the match that the Sun Devil offense began to put the offensive pieces together.
With 79:47 showing on the clock, freshman Gator DeMark forced Jayhawk goalkeeper Sophie Dawe to stop a shot attempt that ricocheted back to Mechal Green, who fired an immediate shot attempt that hit the right woodwork. Two minutes later, Ella Kettles also made Dawe make a decision on a shot attempt as the junior midfielder was played a cross into the 6-yard box and fired off a one-timer towards frame. But Dawe gathered the shot.
Arizona State had one more second-half shot attempt as Addison Haws attempted a header in the 88’, but she sent the ball over top of the frame.
Scoring Summary
33’, 1-0, KU, Goal by Jocelyn Herrema, Assist by Livvy Moore
54’, 2-0, KU, Goal by Caroline Castans, Assist by Livvy Moore
From Head Coach Graham Winkworth
“First, congratulations to Kansas. Coach Nate (Lie) and his staff did an incredible job in the way that they played. (Kansas) was much better than us in getting those first and second balls in the first half and I was disappointed about that. In the second half, we made some adjustments in the last 30 minutes that I felt had a positive impact on the match. I was pleased with performances by some of our substitutes, particularly with Bela (Puccinelli) and Mechal (Green). I thought they made a positive impact off the bench, so I was pleased with them.
“But ultimately, I am disappointed to have conceded a goal off a set piece during the first half, so we made some changes. In the second half, I thought those substitutions made a positive impact, but I feel like Kansas created three or four really good chances in the match and we created three or four good chances in the match. But Kansas was more clinical in front of the goal and, ultimately, deserved the victory because of that.”
Match Notes
- Caroline Castans’ goal at the 53:42 mark of the contest marked the first goal allowed by the Sun Devil defense during the second half of any match this season.
- Mechal Green made her collegiate debut when she entered the match as a substitute for Sierra Bergen in the 72’.
- Green is a 5-foot-4 freshman forward out of Palisades Charter in Los Angeles, Calif.
- By playing 74 minutes of Thursday night’s contest, third-year Sun Devil Kierra Blundell surpassed 2,000 career minutes played at the collegiate level.
- Blundell, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, will enter her next match with 2,070:17 career minutes played.
Up Next
Arizona State (6-2-2, 1-1-0) will wrap up its two-match tilt through the Sunflower State on Sunday, Sept. 27, when the Sun Devils take on Kansas State (5-1-4, 0-1-1) at 10 a.m. MST / 12 p.m. CDT at Buser Family Park in Manhattan, Kan.
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