The women's soccer team looks to prove its first series of Pac-10 play was no fluke when it heads west this weekend to take on conference powerhouses No. 14 California today and No. 10 Stanford on Sunday.
The team comes off an impressive performance at home last weekend, tying No. 4 Washington and beating Washington State in overtime to claim sole possession of second place in the Pac-10.
The largest obstacle in the way of head coach Ray Leone's squad, besides the quality of its two upcoming opponents, is finding a way to win on the road, something the team has not accomplished since Sept. 4. The Sun Devils go into the Golden State with the knowledge that Cal has only lost once in six matches at home and Stanford has yet to come up short at its Maloney Field.
One question that has fallen hard on the backs of the Sun Devils in recent weeks is the intensity of their offensive attack. Although they were able to break open last week and score five goals in two games, there was some concern in the fact that they had failed to get the ball into the net in three of five games before that. The Bears and the Cardinal should prove formidable in slowing down the Sun Devils' attacks, with both teams averaging less than one goal allowed all season.
"I use other sports, where if the shooter keeps shooting or the batter keeps getting up, the odds will turn," Leone said. "It's not because we're not getting chances, it's just getting opportunities and being opportunistic enough to finish it."
The team definitely took advantage of the opportunities afforded in its last two-game series, out-shooting its opponents 43-19. Senior forward Stephanie Peel said it is the attack mentality that helped give her team the edge.
On the other side of the ball, Leone said he is pleased fundamentally with his squad's defensive play but admits there are improvements to be made.
There will be no better testing ground for the Sun Devils than Stanford, which has averaged 2.5 goals per game this season. The match will also provide ASU's program with some exposure as FOX Sports Net will broadcast the contest nationally at a future date.
"They're getting better defensively, and they have had a lot to prove," he said. "The back line was very sharp against Washington State, and you've got to believe these girls are confident that they are tough."
Reach the reporter at jason.samuels@asu.edu.
