TEMPE – It what started as a track meet with two goals in the match’s first three minutes, turned into an offensive struggle for Sun Devil Soccer as Houston left Tempe with three points after Arizona State dropped a 3-2 result to the Cougars on Sunday afternoon.
It took one trip – after the match kicked off – down and back on the pitch before Mya Angus and Kierra Blundell worked together to fight through the Houston defense to find Sierra Bergen, who put the ball into the back of the net just 107 seconds after the opening whistle. The goal marked the eighth time this season – and fourth occurrence during conference play – the Sun Devils have scored first.
But the one-goal lead was short lived as the Cougars countered with an equalizer just 37 seconds later, taking the energy all but completely out of Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
And then the momentum snowball really became to pick up steam.
Despite no whistles being blown when she first fell inside the 18-yard box, Houston’s Ghonda Adelhia got the whistle on a second fall after she drew Emmie Ennis onto her back, then fell to the ground and drawing a penalty kick; one she converted to push the Cougars ahead.
Houston (8-3-3, 4-2-0) capitalized on another foul called against Arizona State when Ava Shannon netted a direct free kick from well over 30 yards out.
The 3-1 advantage for the Cougars nearly stood for the remainder of the match until Blundell converted an 83’ penalty kick chance following a defensive handball call inside the attacking 6-yard box.
After drawing to within a goal, the Sun Devils were unable to put together another offensive opportunity – thanks in large part to the Cougars parking the bus in the corners – until Miki Hayashi let loose on a free kick from midfield with 28 seconds remaining. Hayashi’s kick reached the frame with ease, but Cougar goalkeeper Sierra McCluer gathered the loose ball to prevent a match-tying goal.
Scoring Summary
2’, 1-0, ASU, Goal by Sierra Bergen, Assist by Kierra Blundell and Mya Angus
3’, 1-1, UH, Goal by Jocelyn Chinea, Assist by Samira Minor
25’, 2-1, UH, Penalty Kick by Ghonda Adelhia
31’, 3-1, UH, Goal by Ava Shannon, Unassisted
84’, 3-2, ASU, Penalty Kick by Kierra Blundell
From Head Coach Graham Winkworth
“Yeah, obviously, disappointed to not get the result that we hoped for today, but we move on to the next one. The overall effort just wasn’t good enough today. The first half was poor. I’m disappointed with the effort we showed. If we put in the type of effort that we put in on Thursday night, we would have been comfortable today. We are going to have to look at the film and figure everything out. We conceded a very soft goal, not tracking our runners immediately after scoring. That was an awful time to concede the goal, then we conceded a goal from penalty kick and a free kick.”
From junior forward Kierra Blundell
It was definitely not how we wanted it to go. We wanted the three points, but, in the end, you can’t dwell on it. We just have to bounce back and learn from the mistakes we made in this match.”
Match Notes
- Sierra Bergen’s match-opening goal at the 1:47 mark of the first half was the 16th-fastest goal to begin a match for the Sun Devils in their program history.
- The goal was the quickest by Arizona State in a Big 12 Conference match since joining the league prior to the 2024 campaign.
- Sunday marked Sierra Bergen’s first goal against a conference foe in a match played in Tempe since Oct. 16, 2025, when she scored in the 61’ minute against then-No. 12 Texas Tech.
- By assisting on Bergen’s goal, Mya Angus was credited with her fourth assist on the season, tying her with Bergen and fellow freshman defender Amy Medley for the most on the ASU squad so far this season.
- The assist also gives the Sun Devil three-or-more student-athletes with four-or-more assists in a single season for the sixth consecutive season.
- By converting her penalty kick opportunity in the 84’, Kierra Blundell joins Peyton Marcisz as the only Sun Devils to score a goal and be credited with an assist in a conference match this season.
- Marcisz accomplished the feat in ASU’s 2-0 win at Kansas State on Sept. 27.
Up Next
Following the weekend’s two-match homestand, Arizona State (7-4-3, 2-3-1) will take to the road, again, when the Sun Devils travel to Stillwater, Okla., to take on Oklahoma State (5-6-3, 1-4-1) at 5 p.m. MST / 7 p.m. CDT on Friday, Oct. 16. The Cowgirls are coming off a 3-1 loss at UCF on Sunday morning and have not won their last five matches in conference play.
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