Marred by injuries and inconsistencies, the 2015 season may not have gone as ASU soccer expected. But the Sun Devils (8-8-1) are aiming to finish the year above .500 and knock off their ranked rivals on the road.
ASU faces No. 23 Arizona in Tucson on Friday to cap off its regular season schedule. With a trip to the postseason unlikely, the Sun Devils will be looking to spoil the Wildcats season (12-4-2).
.@ASUSoccer (8-8-1) plays at No. 23 Arizona (12-4-2) on Friday. Who will win this season's #TerritorialCup match?
— Ryan Clarke (@RClarkeASU) November 5, 2015
After a weekend split in the mountain states against Colorado and Utah, ASU has been all but eliminated from selection into the NCAA tournament.
ASU head coach Kevin Boyd said his team would need a "massive jump in the RPI" in order to have a chance to play beyond Friday's match.
"Stranger things have been known to happen," Boyd said. "But we're just focusing on the game itself and not the outcome."
Coming into the Territorial Cup, the Sun Devils are winners of four of their last five matches, outscoring opponents 9-3 in that span.
With seven goals and four assists on the season despite missing significant time due to a hamstring injury, senior forward Cali Farquharson will more than likely finish as ASU's statistical leader in the 2015 season. Farquharson leaves behind a legacy of second place in school history for career goals.
This isn't the Sun Devils' first trip to Tucson either. On Sept. 11, ASU defeated then-No. 14 Pepperdine 5-0 in the "Cats Classic" tournament on Arizona's home turf. After that game, thanks to a myriad of injuries and poor defensive play, the Sun Devils went eight games and 34 days without a victory.
Boyd said there are certain things that the Wildcats are very good at.
"(Arizona) is very combative," Boyd said after practice on Wednesday. "That's a trait — a great one — that they have that we will have to match up with. I think we're combative as well, so we should be okay that way."
Sophomore midfielder Gabi Stoian leads the Wildcats in points, amassing six goals and an astonishing eight assists on the season. Stoian's teammate, junior midfielder Jaden DeGracie, has six total assists, and the pair combine for 14 of the team's 34 total assists.
The number itself stands out, because the Wildcats have more assists on the season than they do goals. It's safe to say that this Arizona team likes to share the ball.
Consistency on the defensive side has been an issue for the Wildcats in their conference losses, outscored 11-4 by Stanford, USC and UCLA during a three-game skid in Pac-12 play.
That issue, along with health, plagued the Sun Devils during their mid-season lull. But both teams enter the match at full strength for what should be a thrilling rivalry match – or "darby" as it is known in English leagues across the pond.
ASU's game at Arizona kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Pac-12 networks.
Related Links:
Q&A: Chandler Morris discusses coming back for her fifth year with ASU soccer
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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