The women's soccer team entered their final game of the season Sunday much the same way as their first -- with high hopes and an eye to the 2004 NCAA Women's College Cup.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devils fell one goal short in a double-overtime, must-win match with Oregon State, keeping them outside the playoff pool and off the field until 2005.
The team played two games over the weekend, needing just one victory to retain the .500 winning percentage required for an NCAA tournament invite. The Sun Devils looked to be in good shape playing the two last place teams in the Pac-10, but their first match against cellar-dwelling Oregon ended in a draw.
The visiting squad struck first when junior Katie Leahy scored her sixth goal of the season in the 10th minute of play. The Ducks' only answer came after the half when Cristan Higa managed to get a penalty shot by goalkeeper Kim Bingham who notched five saves on the day. The penalty was called when defender Stephanie Ebner was called for taking down Oregon's Emily Danner from behind.
Head coach Ray Leone questioned the legitimacy of the officials' decision, stating if anything "It should have been a penalty on Oregon."
Sun Devils Manya Makoski and Elizabeth Bogus each had three shots but failed to break the tie.
ASU made a push in the final seconds of the second overtime period with Brittany Cooper taking a shot at the Ducks' net only to have goalkeeper Domenique Lainez snag the ball.
The Devils traveled north to Corvallis, Oreg., Sunday knowing they needed a victory or a tie against Oregon State to continue their season. The Sun Devils looked to have the advantage going into the contest as they were facing the 9th ranked team in the Pac-10, but also the conference's number one scorer in Jodie Taylor.
The Beavers, however, took their role as spoiler seriously, again forcing the Sun Devils into a double-overtime affair. ASU held the lead in shots (22-10), corner kicks (8-5) and forced OSU goalkeeper Melissa Onstad to make seven saves.
With just 1:01 left in the second overtime period, the Beavers pressed upfield, getting the ball to Taylor who eluded a defender and finessed the ball past Bingham to send the Sun Devils packing.
Leone, though making it clear he did not blame the game's outcome on an official's call, said he felt a scoring attempt by Manya Makoski that was disrupted by an OSU takedown was not treated appropriately. No whistles were blown after the incident, and OSU cleared the ball away from their net.
"It's tough to have two calls like that -- one against you and one that didn't even get called -- on your mind after such a heartbreaking loss," Leone said. "Soccer isn't like other sports where you score a lot of points. Each play is crucial and has the potential to be a game breaker."
Despite the loss, the Sun Devils made an astonishing rebound after a sub-par, non-conference showing, going 4-3-2 in Pac-10 play and sitting near the top of the conference until their final two games. Had the team come out on top in any other game, their season outcome could have been far different.
Reach the reporter at jason.samuels@asu.edu.
