The ASU women’s soccer team started off conference play with mixed results, picking up a win and a loss over the weekend.
The No. 25 Sun Devils (7-3-2, 1-1 Pac-10) looked sharp in a 1-0 victory over Washington State (6-7-0, 1-1) on Friday, but lost a little steam during a 1-0 loss to Washington (9-3-1, 2-0) on Sunday.
Senior forward Karin Volpe finally ended ASU’s three-game goalless streak for the Sun Devils on Friday, and was pleased with the effort the team put forward.
“We started out both games really well, and we had really good intensity,” Volpe said. “If we carry that on to next week and the rest of the Pac-10, we’ll be good.”
ASU coach Kevin Boyd said that the weekend was a success overall for ASU.
“We played some of the best soccer with the ball we’ve played yet,” Boyd said. “But for as well as we played for most of the field, we need to do a better job in the final third and getting to goal.”
The 1-0 victory over WSU on Friday was the first win for the Sun Devils since Sept. 17.
The only goal of the game was scored in the 28th minute. Redshirt sophomore forward Sierra Cook sent a cross into the box, that freshman forward Devin Marshall headed toward goal.
Marshall’s shot was saved and deflected off the crossbar, but Volpe was there to put the rebound into the back of the net.
For the rest of the game, the ASU defense shut down the Cougars, and sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Gillmore recorded the shutout with only one save.
Boyd said that the game was the defense’s best game so far this year.
“Friday night they were outstanding,” Boyd said. “We showed tremendous discipline and determination. We were fully engaged for 90 minutes, and that is something we’ve been talking about.”
On Sunday against Washington, the Sun Devils outshot the Huskies 19-6 and forced UW senior goalkeeper Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann to make seven saves, but could not get a goal.
Marshall had eight shots for ASU, but said that the team needed to make their chances more dangerous.
“We need to work on putting them away, because shots don’t really mean much if you don’t get it in the back of the net,” Marshall said. “We need to shoot like we mean it and like we want to score, not just to hit it on frame.”
The lone goal for UW came in the 15th minute after a Husky player was brought down in the ASU box. Junior midfielder Kate Deines scored off the resulting penalty kick for UW.
From then on, the Huskies kept up a steady pressure and were rewarded with the win.
Despite the losing effort, Boyd said he was happy with the team’s ability to posses the ball.
“I don’t think we had quite the same resolve in our back line,” Boyd said. “We weren’t bad, but we weren’t great, but we played better soccer and our ability on the ball was better. We really moved the ball around very, very well.”
The Sun Devils return to action next Friday, taking on UA at home at 7 p.m.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
