The ASU women’s soccer team couldn’t keep pace with No. 1 Stanford on Friday night and had to settle for a 1-1 draw against California on Sunday.
The Cardinal (15-0-2, 6-0 Pac-10) showed why they were the top-ranked team in the nation, keeping possession of the ball for long stretches of the game and outshooting the Sun Devils (8-4-3, 2-2-1) 21-6 en route to a 3-0 victory in Tempe.
Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Gillmore had 13 saves, but it just wasn’t enough, as ASU could not capitalize on the few chances they had.
“They came out and were really calm with the ball,” Gillmore said. “They’re just a great team all the way around. The back line’s great, the midfield’s great, the forwards are great, and they came out and showed us.”
At the same time, ASU coach Kevin Boyd said the Sun Devils didn’t bring their best game in the first half against Stanford.
“It didn’t look anything like the last three games we played,” Boyd said. “For some weird reason, we decided to be tentative, and we looked it.”
Despite the poor play by ASU, the Cardinal only scored one goal in the first half. In the 16th minute, Stanford’s top scorer, senior forward Christen Press, drove into the ASU box. As the defense collapsed on her, Press laid a pass off to junior midfielder Teresa Noyola, who had an open net.
ASU almost tied it up just before halftime when senior midfielder Alexandra Elston ripped a shot that went off the crossbar, hit the back of the Stanford goalkeeper, then bounced off the right post and out of danger.
“In the second half, we played a lot better,” Boyd said. “But good teams in a tight game are going to punish you for your mistakes, and that’s what they did.”
ASU almost scored again in the 54th minute, when senior forward Karin Volpe dragged the ball across the top of the Stanford box but hit a hard shot right at freshman goalkeeper Emily Oliver. The Sun Devils wouldn’t seriously threaten again.
Stanford opened up the lead in the 62nd minute when sophomore midfielder Mariah Nogueira headed a cross over Gillmore and into the net. The lead would become 3-0 just five minutes later when junior forward Lindsay Taylor headed another perfect cross into the right side.
“They’re just really good in the air,” Gillmore said. “There’s not much we can do.”
After the game, Gillmore said she thought the defense hung close, despite playing a superior opponent.
“I thought we played well, especially coming from a young back line,” Gillmore said. “We just played hard and did all we could do.”
On Sunday, ASU faced a Golden Bears squad (7-4-5, 2-3-1) coming off a tough 1-0 loss to UA.
The Sun Devils got off to a decent start against the Golden Bears, outshooting them 7-2 in the first half. In the 23rd minute, ASU had a header goal disallowed due to a foul in the box. Allowed goals wouldn’t come until the second half, and Cal struck first.
In the 49th minute, freshman defender Emi Lawson put a pass right to the foot of junior midfielder Katrin Omarsdottir, who dribbled into the box and put a solid shot past Gillmore.
ASU answered right back seven minutes later, when freshman forward Devin Marshall headed a free kick into the back of the net. It was Marshall’s second goal of the season, her first since the season opener against NAU.
“It felt amazing,” Marshall said. “I’m used to scoring header goals, and it brought all those feelings back. And to tie up the game was even better.”
However, the game went downhill from there for the Sun Devils, and frustration from both teams at the refereeing began to factor into the game, which ended in a tie after the second overtime.
Boyd said after the game he was disappointed with the team’s play over the weekend.
“We’re coming to the end of the season, which should be the most exciting time,” Boyd said. “We just didn’t bring it.”
The Sun Devils return to action at Oregon State on Friday.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
