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Moon rises as ASU soccer's newest offensive star

Sophomore forward Aly Moon dribbles the ball around her opponent in a home scrimmage against NAU on Aug. 15. 

Sophomore forward Aly Moon dribbles the ball around her opponent in a home scrimmage against NAU on Aug. 15. 


Sophomore forward Aly Moon dribbles the ball around her opponent in a home scrimmage against NAU on Aug. 15. (Photo by Emily Johnson) Sophomore forward Aly Moon dribbles the ball around her opponent in a home scrimmage against NAU on Aug. 15. (Photo by Emily Johnson)

Freshman midfielder Aly Moon has joined a young ASU squad and has immediately made an impact. With five goals in her first six games, Moon looks to leave her mark on the team and be a cornerstone for them moving forward.

Just a few games into her career as a Sun Devil, Moon has been compared to her friend and teammate, junior foward Cali Farquharson, who was ASU’s leading scorer last season.

It can be a daunting task for a freshman to step in and be considered such a crucial piece of the offense. Additional friction can arise between veterans and younger players when this kind of responsibility is handed to just a freshman, Moon said she hasn't experienced any of this pressure. “It’s exciting," Moon said. "It’s not really what I expected. It's just hard work, and we all work hard at practice and push each other, so I think that helps. The team dynamic is great. Everyone is supportive of each other. We push each other hard and it helps the team do well.”

The talent that Moon brings to the team comes as no surprise. She was team captain of her high school team three years in a row, named team MVP and First-Team All League each of the last three seasons.

At the age of 12, Moon tried out for and made U15 Gold Team and at 13 was the starting attacking midfielder for U16 premiere team.

Near the beginning of the season, head coach Kevin Boyd knew he had a special player in Moon.

“Aly Moon is a really good soccer player, which is always the best compliment I can give," Boyd said. "She’s smart, she’s technical and she plays hard. She’s somebody that can play any of the positions in the midfield. She could also play on the back line and on the front line. Right now, I’m viewing her in the midfield in more of an attacking role. I think she is a player who can help fill the void left by the graduation of Holland Crook.”

Aly Moon (Photo by Emily Johnson) Freshman midfielder Aly Moon fights off a defender for the ball in a home scrimmage against NAU on Aug 15. (Photo by Emily Johnson)

As the season has progressed and Boyd has more or less determined his starting line, his praise for Moon has only intensified.

“She is just an outstanding soccer player, and I’ve just been saying that over and over," Boyd said. "It doesn't matter if its now or five weeks from now, she's going to be the same person because she's just a really good soccer player. It’s not about a touch that's on today, or it’s not that she's faster than everyone else, it's that she reads the game very well. That doesn't come and go. That's just who she is. She just causes teams problems.”

In her first several games, Moon has shown aggression on the offensive side of the ball. In a 5-2 win over Hawaii, she recorded a hat trick.

The three-goal performance earned her Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

“It was exciting, and it was humbling to get the recognition, but it's a team game,” Moon said. “So obviously I can't do any of it without the team and it was just a great way to come off our first weekend.”

Moon also feels very comfortable around her teammates, as they all help each other to take a step closer to accomplishing their mutual goal: winning games.

“I think that if I just keep pushing myself and my teammates keep pushing me that we can keep performing well.”

In her most recent outing, ASU's game against Texas A&M;, Moon failed to score despite several shots on goal, but her hustle and effort on both sides of the pitch helped spark a second half comeback to upset the No. 6 ranked Aggies, thanks to a late goal from junior midfielder Mackenzie Semerad.

“You just kind of have to put it behind you,” Moon said. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, you just gotta let it go and keep playing and get the next one."

She might go through growing pains as she adjusts to the pace and competition of Pac-12 soccer, but Moon has already taken huge strides toward making her young team a contender.

 

Reach the reporter at mtsteine@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @MarcTSteiner

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