The ASU women's soccer team travels to the Lone Star State this weekend to take on a pair of Texas teams.
The Sun Devils (2-2-0) will play Southern Methodist University (2-0-0) in Dallas tonight at 7 p.m. before meeting Texas Christian University (2-2-0) on Sunday at 11 a.m.
After splitting their first home stand of the season last weekend, the Sun Devils are confident they can come away with two wins on the road.
"I feel we've really gotten unlucky in a couple of the games we've lost," coach Kevin Boyd said. "The ball is going to bounce our way at some point here."
The Sun Devils lost to then-No. 3 Texas, 1-0, last Friday and beat UNC-Charlotte, 1-0, on Sunday.
This week in practice, Boyd said the Sun Devils have been working on moving the ball more quickly and capitalizing on their opportunities to score.
"We do need to play the ball faster, that was an obvious big one," he said. "That's common for teams right now in that stage. We need to start sticking our shots in the goal."
True freshman forward Karin Volpe leads the team in goals (2), and other underclassmen have been making a significant impact.
"Being the leading scorer is a good feeling," Volpe said. "Hopefully I can keep it up and keep helping my team out and helping them win. It's definitely been the work of my other teammates to help me to get the ball and shoot and have the opportunities I've had."
However, Boyd said he has been impressed with the way the entire team has progressed so far this season, regardless of whether they are a true freshman or a fifth-year senior.
"It's really good to look at what Karin's doing and [Alexandra Elston] and some other players that are starting as freshman," Boyd said. "But you can also look at what the seniors are doing as well. They're really doing a sound job."
The Sun Devils will be missing one key freshman for the rest of the season as forward Erica Long tore her anterior cruciate ligament, which leaves Boyd with a hole to fill.
"We need everyone to try and keep doing what they have to do to get better," he said. "They're doing an excellent job of that right now, but we need to keep it going."
On defense, the Sun Devils have only allowed three goals all season and have recorded two shutouts.
SMU advanced to the second round of the playoffs last season and was picked to win Conference USA in a preseason poll.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge," Boyd said. "I think it's good for a young, developing team to get in situations like this."
Sophomore defender Liz Harkin said the Sun Devils are concentrating on their game and that they know SMU will be another good test for them.
"Everyone we play is going to be a good opponent," she said. "[SMU is] obviously a quality team and we're just going to have to bring out our best."
The Mustangs have started undefeated in 2007 by beating Texas-San Antonio on August 31 and Kansas last Sunday.
Junior goalkeeper Ashley Gunter, who was a second team All-American last season, leads the Mustangs along with senior defender Kimberly Bailey and junior defender Carley Phillips, who both were selected to the preseason All-Conference USA team.
Bailey has been the offensive leader so far this season as she has one goal and two assists in the Mustangs' first two games.
ASU is 0-1 all-time against SMU.
The Sun Devils will then make the short trip to Fort Worth to play TCU on Sunday.
TCU lost to Texas on Aug. 31 and Rice in double overtime on Sept. 7, but beat Utah State on Sept. 2 and Texas-San Antonio on Tuesday to start 2-2-0 on the season.
The Horned Frogs were picked to finish sixth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll and are led on offense by true freshman forward Jackie Torda, who has two goals and one assist.
TCU will play Texas Tech on Friday before taking on the Sun Devils.
The match up against the Horned Frogs will be the first time ASU women's soccer has played TCU.
Reach the reporter as gina.mizell@asu.edu.
