It was a weekend full of first-career goals for the ASU women's soccer team as it started conference play with a 3-0 win over Washington on Friday and a 1-0 win in overtime against Washington State on Sunday.
It was the first time the Sun Devils (8-5-0, 2-0-0 Pac 10) started the conference season with two wins since 2003 and the first time ASU beat both Washington schools in the same season since 2005.
Coach Kevin Boyd said that luck was also a huge factor in both games as the Sun Devils did not play their best soccer but finally caught a few breaks on the offensive end.
"We've been due for a couple karma goals from our effort and our development," he said. "We just haven't seen that much [and] if it decides to come in the Pac-10 I'm thrilled by it."
The Sun Devils used a balanced offensive attack and two assists from junior defender Kylla Sjoman to push them past the Huskies (3-8-0, 0-1-0 Pac-10) on Friday.
The Sun Devils struck first in the 15th minute of play when senior defender Lauren Niblett dropped the ball back for sophomore defender Rachel Newell for a direct shot that found the back of the net.
The goal was the first of Newell's career and the assist was Niblett's first of the season.
"Since I play defense it's not like I get the opportunity [to score] a lot," Newell said. "It was exciting to put one away."
The Sun Devil offense capitalized again in the 36th minute when freshman defender/midfielder Jessie Richardson scored the first goal of her career off a free kick from Sjoman.
"Jessie should have had a couple goals already and just didn't quite find a way to stick it in the net, so for her to get a goal that's great," Boyd said.
The Sun Devils were able to find the back of the net one more time in the 67th minute when Sjoman took a corner kick which sophomore midfielder Carly Kallas headed to senior forward Courtney Crane who headed the ball into the net to put the Sun Devils up 3-0.
Crane's goal was her fourth of the season, which ties her with freshman forward Karin Volpe for the team lead.
Sjoman's two assists were her fourth and fifth of the season, which leads the team and also ties her total from all of last season.
Defensively, ASU recorded its sixth shutout of the season and sophomore goalkeeper Briana Silvestri came up with six saves for the Sun Devils.
Despite the 3-0 score, Boyd said that the game was much closer.
"I thought [Washington was] a well organized, dangerous team to play against," he said. "They caused us problems that not many teams have this year."
The Sun Devils needed extra time to defeat Washington State (8-2-2, 1-1-0 Pac-10) on Sunday but were able to capitalize on a set piece in overtime to stay perfect in conference play.
In the 95th minute, freshman midfielder Alexandra Elston scored the first goal of her career when she took a free kick that deflected off a WSU player and into the back of the net.
"It was a good time for the goal to come," Elston said. "[I] finally got one in the net, so it feels good. [Before the play I thought] be calm, we're trying to score, and it went in."
The overtime win was the first for ASU since 2005. The Sun Devils were 0-2-3 in overtime games in 2006.
Up until the game-winning goal, the Sun Devils and Cougars were very evenly matched as both teams took nine shots in the game but could not score during regulation.
Silvestri made three saves in the win while the Sun Devil defense picked up its seventh shutout of the season.
